Destiny
by Swagcat
Summary: Rei Otsuka ran away from the people who want to put her in a foster home after her parents' deaths. Kyo finds her unconscious and injured in the woods, and because of her, a new secret of the Sohma Zodiac curse is revealed, and his life is turned around.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n (for further reference, any bolded letters at the beginning of a chapter are for authors notes, so I'm not going to label that anymore) So, here I am with my first Fruits Basket Fanfiction. I saw the shows and I'm halfway through the books, and my friend has started a full on obsession. I, of course, made my own girl for the main character, since I almost always hate using preset characters (if you happen to read my Twilight fanfics, you might notice that fact is the same in those, but I don't highly suggest you read them, because I don't really update, plus Wounded Hearts and Inconvenience are the only good ones, since the others were written a long time ago and aren't very good….) well, with that, let's get started!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN FRUITS BASKET, and you all know it, so I see no need for further pain in pointing this out.**

Chapter One

I panted, pulling myself as quickly through the woods as I could. _You're insane, Rei! _I thought to myself. I knew this. Running would get me nowhere, but there wasn't much else I could do. Get away, live on my own somehow, anything, would be better than a foster home that I would inevitably be sent to.

Tears sprang to my eyes, and not just because my lungs were burning with exertion. I couldn't believe my parents were gone… and it was my fault too. I'm not just trying to blame myself, like a lot of people who lose family do. It really _was _my fault. I left our old gas stove on by accident, and didn't even realize that my dad had left the newspaper sitting close to it… how could I be so stupid?

I tripped and stumbled, and glared tearfully at the root that stuck up just a foot or two behind me. I rubbed my ankle, and winced, having found yet another burn. I'd gotten out of the fire in time, but just barely. I had tons of burns, minor as they were, and my hair was singed. I internally scolded myself for worrying about something like that, mad that I sounded like… well, like such a _girl. _But my hair was my finest feature, my parents had always said… Oh well, it's not like it wouldn't grow back.

I slowly brought myself back to my feet, using a tree for support. I took one step, and crumpled back to the ground in pain. Damn, now I had a twisted ankle to add to the list of injuries. How in the world was I going to take care of all this? I can't afford a doctor, I don't have anywhere to stay… my life just seemed to get worse and worse.

I lay there on the ground, trembling, trying to force back my tears. I was exhausted, and… Oh great. Now it was starting to rain. It was a slight sprinkle at first, the mist actually feeling nice, soothing my skin. But it soon started to come harder and harder, becoming a downpour and pelting my sore flesh like tons of small stones. I sniffled down there in the mud, thinking about how I was going to catch a cold.

I was miserable, but I knew I couldn't just lay there. I started crawling feebly forward, keeping my mind concentrated on the next inch, and the next. Soon enough, my temper got to me, and my pace got unbearably slow. Knowing it would hurt, I heaved myself up and started limping ahead, practically hoping on one foot and using whatever trees were nearby to steady myself.

I was proud of myself when I looked back, seeing a slight indent in the mud where I had laid, scrapes from where I'd pulled myself forward on my knees. I'd gotten pretty far, despite my injuries. Then again, my dad had always said I was pretty tough…

I sighed sadly, tears welling into my eyes again, and I turned to keep going. Wouldn't you know it, I tripped on another root. Too bad my toughness didn't come equipped with anti-klutz genes.

I cried out loudly as I fell, because this wasn't just a little root sticking up an inch, this was one of those roots that's sprouted _way _far out of the ground, one of those huge knotted ones that stands like, a foot tall. I hit the ground with a slight thud, and my breath knocked out of me. I sat there panting, the days events taking their toll. I welcomed the sweet darkness that engulfed me, putting a temporary stopper in my pain.

_XXX Meanwhile… XXX_

Kyo blinked his eyes open sleepily, feeling a slight mist fall across the bare skin on his arms and face. He looked around confused, taking a moment to realize that he'd fallen asleep on the roof… again. He cursed irritably and sat up, stretching.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of whatever Tohru was cooking wafting up from out of the house. He walked casually over to the ladder propped up on the edge of the house and climbed agilely down. The rain gradually grew heavier, into huge, stinging drops, and he hissed, trying to shake the water off of him. He was about to sprint into the house when he paused, and glanced into the woods. Was he hearing things, or did someone just cry out?

Rather than stand in the rain, or go running to investigate, he sat under the roofed porch, trying to listen through the sounds of the rain steadily pounding above him.

He sat there for about five minutes, and was just about to give up when he heard it again. A cry, definitely, and this time it was louder, closer. He jumped up, paused for a moment to ponder telling Shigure, then decided against it and dashed into the woods.

It only took Kyo a moment to find her, thankfully, since the rain was starting to wear him out. He was shocked, and wondered if the weather was fuzzing over his brain, making him see things. The girl lay in the mud, unconscious. She was soaked through, and her skin looked like she'd been thrown into an oven, with burns patching over her arms and legs. Her clothes were torn and filthy, and her long black hair was knotted, and filled with sticks and mud.

Kyo shook his head, snapping out of his shocked reverie. He was slightly panicked, trying to think of a way to carry her back to the house. He couldn't just drag her there, obviously, but he had to be careful not to change when he picked her up…

After a few minutes of struggling, he managed to slide his arm under her shoulders, and put his other under her knees and carried her that way, trying to hold her away from his body.

As he walked awkwardly back the way he had come, he wondered why he was going through the trouble. Usually he wouldn't give a crap about some stranger, but… He looked down at the girl in his arms, her face peaceful and relaxed. There was just something about her… or maybe it was just that he wasn't cruel enough to leave an injured person in the woods in the pouring rain.

He stepped up onto the porch and kicked at the door. "_Hey!_" He shouted, kicking it again. "Someone open the door, already!"

He stood there, fuming as he impatiently waited for someone to slide the door open for him.

"Oh, I didn't think it was locked…" Tohru's voice came through the door, slightly muffled. "We already ate, but I saved some dinner for— Oh!" She cut off with a gasp as she slid the door open and saw him.

"Tell Shigure to call Hatori," Kyo said gruffly.

"Why am I calling Hatori?" Shigure asked, poking his head into the room. His eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Kyo… I see you've found a new friend… Erm, you can just bring her into your room while I call Hatori…"

Kyo headed up the stairs, trying to walk sideways so that her head wouldn't bump against the walls. He almost fell over once, and his arms tightened instinctively around the girl so he wouldn't drop her. He grunted in surprise and quickly held her away from him, then blinked when he didn't transform. _That was close, _he thought.

When he got to the top of the steps, Yuki's door slid open and he stepped out into the hallway. "Kyo? What are you making so much noise about? Who's this?"

"I don't _know, _just get outta my way, you damn rat," Kyo snapped, trying to sidestep around Yuki.

"If you don't know her, why'd you bring her here?" Yuki asked, not budging.

"Because she's _hurt!_ And this is hard enough without _you _in my way, so MOVE IT!" Kyo started shaking with irritation, and if it weren't for the fact that his arms were otherwise occupied, he would have undoubtedly thrown a punch.

Yuki stared at the cat coldly for a minute, then stepped back into his room and slid the door closed.

Kyo cursed under his breath and made his way down the hallway to his room. When he got there, his door was closed, as he'd left it. He swore to himself again and tried to shift the girl's weight to one arm so he could use the other to slide the door open. He'd only need about an inch or two, and then he could shove it the rest of the way with his foot.

"Here, let me help you with that!" Tohru's cheery voice came from behind him. He jumped and almost dropped the girl, not having heard Tohru show up. "Shigure wanted me to tell you that Hatori will be here soon," She said, opening the door and then standing aside to let him in.

Kyo stood for a moment, trying to figure out where to put her. "Tohru… Get me a couple of towels, will you? Quick," he shouted after as she trotted out of his room to do so.

He stepped to the side when she came back, her arms filled with soft white towels. "Lay them out on my bed. Er, Please. I don't wanna put her on the floor." Tohru just smiled that goofy little smile of hers and pulled Kyo's blankets off his bed, and laid out the towels as asked.

Kyo nodded at her in thanks, and then carefully set the girl on top of the towels. He stood for a moment, staring down at this person. He felt strange, thinking that he might have saved her life. He eventually sat next to the bed, leaning his back against the wall, and waited for Hatori to come.

_XXX...XXX_

My head felt heavy. I was really, really warm. Warm and dry, and I didn't hurt anywhere. Was that all a dream, my house burning, and my parents sizzling to death in the flames? I started to stretch my arms, and my muscles screamed out in pain. My eyes flitted open and darted around anxiously as I tried to recognize my surroundings.

I let out a moan. It definitely wasn't a dream. Where was I, though? How did I end up in this room?

I heard a door slide open with a gentle _fwoosh, _and a girls voice called out into the hallway softly. "Kyo? Hatori? I think she's waking up!"

I groaned again as I tried to stretch my stiff muscles, but my skin felt like it was made of paper, and it hurt to move. Soft steps padded down the hallway, and I heard the door slide open farther. I didn't bother to look to see who came in, assuming it was the Kyo and Hatori that that girl was calling to. I stared blankly at the ceiling, as if it would help me figure things out. It was like I thought the answers would be written up there, where I could see them. I probably would've snorted with sarcastic laughter, had I not known it would probably hurt. I was more likely to see _gullible _written up there.

A bright light flashed into my eyes, and I cried out in pain. My arms flew up to cover my face, and I cried out again, my body screaming at me. "What the _hell?!_" I demanded, blinking blearily at the man hovering over me.

"You could've given her a warning, Hatori" the soft girls voice from earlier said.

"Just let him do his work, Tohru," A boy's voice replied, sounding slightly snappy.

Hatori was apparently the doctor, Tohru the girl… which left the other boy to be Kyo? I sighed. Why did it matter anyway? I would've figured out eventually, I'm sure.

Hatori put his light away, apparently having seen whatever he needed. "You're lucky Kyo found you last night, young lady. Your condition was not good by any means, and you could've been in real trouble."

I heard someone clearing their throat behind him, as though embarrassed, and I craned my neck to try and see. I winced in pain as the muscles in my neck tugged at each other, and I lay back down in irritation.

Tohru, I'm assuming, stepped forward from the end of the bed I was in and pushed Kyo, assuming again, forward. I blinked, pleasantly surprised to find him quite handsome, with a shock of orange hair and strange red eyes. His cheeks reddened slightly under my stare and he grimaced.

"It was nothing…" He muttered.

I chuckled in amusement, and then broke out into a coughing fit.

Hatori handed me a glass of water from a small table beside the bed, and as soon as I could take a breath, I guzzled it down. I coughed weakly a few times after I'd drained its contents, and then sat still.

"You have some minor smoke damage to your lungs, second degree burns on your arms and legs, a sprained ankle, and a cold. If gone untreated for too long, you'd be in bad shape, but luckily I've taken care of most of these problems, and you should recover soon," Hatori explained. He put a few things back into his bag and then walked out of the room.

There were a few moments of awkward silence, until Tohru spoke up. "So, what's your name?" She asked in a sweet little voice.

"Um… Rei... Rei Otsuka," I stuttered, sounding quite witty, I'm sure.

"It's so nice to meet you!" She exclaimed. "My name is Tohru Honda, and this is Kyo Sohma. The doctor was Hatori Sohma, he's a good friend of ours."

"Well… tell him I say thanks… he left before I could say so myself."

Another head poked through the door, and in walked a man with black hair who was quite obviously older than the other two. "No need, I already thanked him for you!" the man said, and he entered the room, dragging along a silvery haired boy behind him. "My name is Shigure Sohma, and this is my cousin Yuki."

"Rei, Rei Otsuka," I repeated.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Otsuka," Yuki said in a soft voice. I looked at him in interest, noting his purple eyes. Did he always talk so formally? 

I yawned deeply and felt my eyelids flutter. Was it even possible that I was still tired? How long had I slept for?

"Oh!" Tohru piped up, sounding concerned. "You must get your rest! Come on everybody, out! Out!" She shooed everyone out of the room and was about to close the door behind herself.

"Wait…" I said tiredly. She paused at the door and looked at me. "Quick question… Whose bed am I in?"

"Oh, Kyo's" She replied. I didn't even have time to feel embarrassed before I fell back asleep.

**So what do you think? I hope the chapter is long enough. I haven't been very good at length in the past. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, but I've learned that begging for them is just annoying! ^^ **

**OH, and quick thing, in this story, Kyo and Tohru don't have their little romance thing. Tohru never saw his true form, so he still has his little Kyo issues heh, heh… anyway, thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here comes chapter two! I hope you liked the first one ^^**

Chapter Two

I stretched and yawned, sitting up. I looked around at Kyo's room, wondering briefly where he'd been sleeping if I was here. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, letting out a small pleasured sound as my muscles stretched without pain.

It hat been about a week since the accident, and I'd been recovering in this same room the whole time. I'd gotten up and walked around a little yesterday, but I hadn't gone far. Peeking my head out into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear, I tiptoed out of Kyo's room in my night clothes, which were actually borrowed from Tohru. I knocked quietly on her door as I came to it.

"Tohru?" I whispered. "Are you in there?" 

I stood uncertainly for a moment before the door slid open in front of me and Tohru's smiling face appeared. "Oh, hello Rei! How are you feeling this morning?"

"Erm… I'm okay," I said, keeping my voice down, though I wasn't really sure why. "Could I come in for a minute?"

She smiled at me and stepped aside so I could enter, and I just stood in the middle of her room awkwardly. "I-I just had a question… would you mind if I kind of… borrowed some of your clothes? I mean, I kind of wanted to go out today, and… Since my clothes are ruined, and," I glanced down at the borrowed night clothes. "I can't go out in this."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I completely forgot that you don't have any clothes or belongings, of course you can borrow some of mine! In fact, why don't we all go shopping today?" She suggested cheerily.

"Thanks, Tohru, but um… I don't have any money."

"Oh that's okay, I can pay for some stuff for you!"

I widened my eyes in surprise. "What? No! I couldn't ask you to buy me stuff, I've already been here just taking up space…"

She just smiled a bit more and set out some clothes for me. "You can put these on, and you should come downstairs when you're done!"

I blinked as she left and put on the clothes she left out, a mini-skirt and a plain blouse. I glanced in the mirror on my way out and stopped, staring at it for a moment. I took a step back and then walked towards the mirror, leaning into it to see better. There was a bandage on my right cheek, covering either a burn or a scratch. There were fading purple circles underneath my eyes, and my hair was an absolute mess.

I took the brush off Tohru's desk and brushed through the tangled jungle that was my hair, and after a minute or two of struggling, managed to get it to fall straight. It looked fine now, I supposed, except for the charred ends. Feeling bad, I dug through Tohru's desk drawers until I found a pair of scissors, then, making sure to keep it all in a pile so I could sweep it up, carefully chopped off the ends. I pulled at the new ends of my hair, making sure there weren't any strays, and then grabbed the singed pile and dumped it into a garbage can.

I looked into the mirror and smiled, glad that I finally looked decent, and left the room to go downstairs.

When I entered the room, Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure, who were kneeling around a low table, looked up and stopped talking.

"Oh, don't you look nice!" Shigure exclaimed, and then looked at the boys. "If you would excuse me, I really must get to work on my manuscript." With that he stood up and walked away, singing something about _High School Girls._ I blinked at the awkward silence that ensued.

"Well, how are you feeling today, Miss Otsuka?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, um, I'm feeling well, thanks. But…" I trailed off, and he looked at me questioningly. "Could you cut out with the 'Miss Otsuka' stuff? That's what my mom was called, my name is _Rei_."

Kyo and Yuki stared at me for a moment, and Kyo burst out laughing. I blushed deep red, embarrassed. Yuki looked irritated and smacked Kyo upside the head. His laughter stopped immediately.

"Hey, you wanna start something you damn rat?!" Kyo exclaimed jumping up and bristling like a cat.

Yuki stared up at him calmly. "Certainly not, but you were embarrassing our visitor."

Kyo glanced over at me. I was watching with wide eyes, the blush probably still tinting my cheeks. He chuckled again and sat down.

"I just think it's funny. She doesn't fall for your high and mighty formal talk crap that most girls think is _sooo charming!"_ He said, imitating a girl at the end. I giggled at his ridiculous falsetto voice, and he grinned.

"Amazing," Yuki mused, but he sounded sarcastic. "Someone who _actually _thinks you're funny."

At that point Tohru walked in, carrying a huge breakfast platter, which she set on the table. "Here you go guys, help yourselves!"

Kyo seemed to leap forward to grab some food, and Yuki, Kyo's opposite in every way, it seemed, reached and calmly grabbed a piece with his chopsticks. I stood awkwardly to the side.

Tohru sat at one end of the table, and then beckoned for me to sit too. I took the spot opposite of her and stared at the food, not entirely sure what to do. My stomach grumbled in protest.

Kyo blinked at me. "What're you waiting for? Just grab something and eat it."

I blushed slightly and reached out hesitantly with a pair of chopsticks, randomly grabbing at something and eating it. I chewed for a moment, contemplating, and then blushed again when I realized they were staring at me to see what I thought. I swallowed hastily and smiled. "It's great! Tohru, did you cook all this?"

Now it was Tohru's turn to blush. "Yeah, I almost always do the cooking. B-but Kyo's really a good cook too!"

"Hey, just because I managed to cook for you that one time doesn't mean I'm good at it," Kyo said with a slight scowl.

"I get the feeling that you're generally a grumpy person…" I mused, looking at Kyo.

Yuki chuckled. "He's also stupid and disagreeable."

"Yeah, well at least I'm not some damn rat!" Kyo shouted immediately, jumping to his feet. "You wanna take this outside, pretty boy?"

"So I can beat you yet again? Sounds like a good plan," Yuki said icily, setting down his chopsticks and standing.

"Why I oughta…" Kyo muttered and then leaped across the table at his cousin. Yuki easily sidestepped, and Kyo landed catlike on his feet. He glared daggers at Yuki, his fists up and ready to fly.

"Oh, sit back down," I said irritably. "You don't have to pick a fight over every little thing you know. And for future reference, it would only take you three seconds to walk _around _the table as opposed to leaping it like a freakin' track hurdle." I blushed suddenly when I realized what I was saying. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I mean, I'm happy you guys have let me stay here and everything, I just, um…." I trailed off awkwardly.

Tohru smiled kindly, oblivious to the confused looks the guys were giving me. "Oh, don't worry about him, Rei. He's not so bad, him and Yuki just don't get along. Besides, it's kind of nice to finally have a girl around who points out what everyone is secretly thinking!"

I blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, no problem?" I said, making it sound like a question.

"Yuki," Tohru said, standing up. "Would you mind doing the dishes for me, please? I'm taking Rei shopping, since she doesn't have any clothes or anything."

"That won't be a problem, Miss Honda, I'm sure we can take care of it," He said, smiling gently at her. I wondered if there was something going on between those two… "Come on, stupid Cat," Yuki said, directing a slight glare at Kyo.

"What?! She asked _you, _not me! Do the stupid dishes yourself, you damn rat!"

"Hey, that's a lot of dishes for one person. Stop being a butt and help out, Kyo," I insisted. In my mind I screamed at myself. I can be kind of bossy by nature, and I was trying to squash that down, since I was a guest at their house. Apparently, I was failing epically.

To my surprise, however, Kyo didn't get mad at me or anything. He just grumbled and started picking dishes up off the table.

Tohru laughed lightly and then headed to the door to put on her shoes. I followed her slowly, and within a minute or two, we were off on our way to the mall.

**Well, here we are with the second chapter. It was kind of uneventful, so I'm sorry for that. Special thanks to my bud, Goldy, who I am now pretty much relying on for advice when I'm not quite sure how I want to word something, among other issues. You're the best!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kyo was outside, practicing some new fighting moves that his master had taught him. It was a good way to vent out his frustration. Washing the dishes in itself wasn't all that bad, but being stuck there doing it with that damn Yuki had made it torture.

He kept at his practicing for a good fifteen minutes, until he finally sat on the porch for a break. It was then that a thought came to his mind. He went inside and entered Shigure's room without knocking. The dog was sitting at his desk, for once working on his manuscript as he should have been.

Shigure looked up. "Oh, Kyo… Hello there. Did you need something?"

"How in the world was Tohru planning on taking Rei shopping when Rei doesn't have any money and Tohru has hardly any either?" He demanded.

Yuki, who had been walking by, stopped in front of the door upon hearing this. "It would be just like Miss Honda to spend all her money on someone else. This is just like with those Valentine's chocolates."

"Well, you two valiant young boys had better run off to their rescue," Shigure said in a poetic attempt he always has. "Or would you rather Tohru went broke again?"

Kyo grumbled irritatedly. "You're right, she probably _would _spend everything she has…"

"Don't worry about it, Cat. I'll go track them down and pay for her," Yuki volunteered.

"Like hell you will," Kyo snapped. "I found her, I'll pay for her stupid stuff!"

They continued to bicker back and forth for a few moments, before Shigure came up and whacked them both with a rolled up newspaper. "Stop with your arguing. You both might as well go, since I'm kicking you out of the house for the day anyway."

Yuki blinked at his older cousin. "Shigure, what in the world is with you and acting like a responsible adult lately?"

"Well, if you prefer, I could go back to being childish and hitting on Tohru, and probably Rei too…"

"NO!" Yuki and Kyo shouted simultaneously.

"Very well. Now get out, go find the girls. Be nice, don't fight etc. etc."

After about fifteen minutes of walking and studiously ignoring each other, the boys arrived at the mall. They stared up at it, unsure of where to go.

"How the hell are we going to find them in this place?" Kyo demanded.

"With technology, obviously," Yuki said, taking a cell phone out of his pocket. "Stupid Cat."

Kyo bristled in irritation but remained silent as Yuki called Tohru.

"Hello, Miss Honda. Where are you? … Yes, I know you're at the mall, I meant which store? …. Is it possible for you to meet us in a _different_ one?" Yuki asked, sounding uncomfortable. Kyo looked at him questioningly. "Yes, I realize it must be important… You're sure? I suppose… Yes, we'll be there in a minute. Goodbye."

"So? Where are they?" Kyo asked impatiently.

"In… They're in Victoria's Secret," Yuki said with a shudder.

Kyo's jaw dropped, appalled. "What are they doing in _there?!_" 

Yuki shrugged. "They're _girls, _apparently it's important… let's just get in there so they can buy whatever they need and leave."

For once, Kyo was in total agreement. The boys wandered in the mall for a bit, completely lost, until they had the sense to check a map. They located Victoria's Secret on it, and Yuki slapped his forehead in disbelief when he figured out they'd been walking right past it.

They stood warily at the entrance to the store, unwilling to go in.

"What are you waiting for, you damn rat? Go!" Kyo said, shoving Yuki inside. Yuki stumbled a step in, then grabbed Kyo by the shirt and dragged him with. After a few steps, Kyo complained.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Let go!"

Yuki released him and they wandered around, searching for the girls. It amazed them how humungous a bra store could be.

Yuki stopped suddenly, and Kyo, who was walking right behind, ran into him. "Hey, what's the big idea?" He snapped, looking around uncomfortably.

Yuki raised a shaking hand and pointed. "W-w-what in the world is _that!"_ He stuttered.

Kyo looked where he was pointing, and his jaw dropped, his eye started to twitch. In front of them was a large display for equally large ladies undergarments. We're talking huge, lacy granny panties here.

"My eyes… they burn!" Kyo cried, looking away.

_XXX Rei's Point of View XXX_

Tohru and I burst into sudden and uncontrollable laughter, the boys about ten feet in front of them. They turned, and saw us, looking horrified.

"You should've… seen your… faces!" I gasped out, my face turning pink.

"Classic!" Tohru squealed.

They both stared at us with wide eyes. "Miss Honda…" Yuki said in surprise. "I don't believe I've ever seen you like this."

"Rei has obviously corrupted her innocent mind," Kyo said, staring pointedly at the ground so he wouldn't see any more horrific lace monstrosities. "Bringing her to a place like this… It's insane!"

I just giggled and shook my head. "Get your panties out of a bunch. It gets you nowhere and it makes you walk funny. I just need to decide which pairs I want and we'll be out of here. Tohru, which do you think?" I asked, turning back to the decisions we'd picked out.

"I think… we should ask the boys' opinions!" Tohru replied with an insane giggle. "Kyo, which do you think would be better for Rei?" She asked, holding up two bras while I held up the other.

Kyo and Yuki just stared blankly at them. "You're kidding me… right?" Kyo asked. "You can't honestly be asking me this."

"You're right…" Tohru said ponderingly, and Kyo sighed in relief. "They're all so cute… Why don't we just get all three? You'll need more than one anyway!" Tohru laughed and handed them to me. "Shame they weren't here when we were picking out underwear… That would've been so amusing…."

Yuki stared at us with his jaw dropped. "You really _did _corrupt her!"

Tohru's brows came together. "No, she didn't. She just exposed me to the wonders of shopping… and how to embarrass boys with it," She giggled, and we exchanged a look.

"Whatever," Kyo muttered, shaking his head. "Shigure wanted us to make sure you didn't spend all your money on her, Tohru, so we're basically just here to pay for things… Here" He pulled a small wad of cash out of his pocket and handed it over without looking at us.

Ii giggled again and took the money, bringing my new clothes up to the register and paying for them. I said 'thank you' to the cashier and returned to our little group. "Alright, we'll stop torturing you. We can move on to the next store now."

I went through the motions of shopping without talking much, since I was about waist deep in thinking about how easily I fit in with Tohru and the Sohmas. I'd only known them for a week, and here I was joking and teasing and laughing as if I'd known them forever. I wondered why they hadn't gotten sick of me yet, why they cared at all, where I'd go when I'd overstayed my welcome.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, you seem pretty quiet," Kyo pointed out.

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm just thinking about stuff. That's cute," I said, pointing to a frilly white mini-skirt. Tohru didn't even question it, just grabbed one off the rack and kept moving.

"Thinking about what kind of stuff?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Like… Where I'm even going to put all this stuff."

"On a shelf, or in a closet, obviously," Tohru put in with a small laugh.

"Well, I mean once I leave…" They all gave me questioning looks. "Well, now that I'm healthy and stuff, I can't expect you to just let me stay. I have to think of where I'll go, how I'll get money, and stuff. I'm not sure what I'll do with all this, at that point."

Kyo looked at me as if I were insane. "Of course you can stay with us."

"Of course I can't," I said, looking at him bewilderedly. "I don't have anything to pay for a room with, and—" I blinked as Tohru cut me off.

"I don't pay for my room either! they just let me do chores around the house to pay for it! I wouldn't mind having a little help, if you stayed."

Yuki cast a warning glance at Kyo and Tohru over my head, which I apparently wasn't supposed to catch. Frankly, I was a little bit hurt. The others seemed to like me well enough, but apparently not him.

"No, really, I would just be taking up space and getting in the way," I said, looking right at Yuki as I spoke. I looked at me in surprise and then cast his gaze away. "Seriously, I can find my own place. I'll be fine on my own."

Tohru stepped in front of me, forcing me to stop walking. She looked pleadingly at me. "Rei, just listen, okay? I felt the same way when I started living with the Sohmas, I thought I would be a burden too, but then when I finally was able to move back in with my grandpa, I realized how much I truly like it here… I think you should stay, I know we would all like it very much. Please, Rei?"

"Well, when you say it like that…" I grumbled. Tohru cheered and hugged me.

"Come on, let's go pay for your stuff and go tell Shigure!" Tohru said, pulling me along to the cash register. "There aren't any spare rooms in the house, but I wouldn't mind having a room mate if that's okay with you!" She said excitedly as the cashier started scanning my new clothes.

"Yeah, that sounds okay…" I said, glancing back at the boys. They hadn't said anything, and they were both kind of gazing off, thinking about… well, whatever guys think about, I suppose.

"Um… guys?" Yuki and Kyo looked up at me, snapped out of their thoughts. "Do _you_ guys want me to stay? I mean, if it's just Tohru, I still don't wanna be a burden or anything…"

"Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Miss Otsuka," Yuki said in his formal way.

"Yeah, we don't mind, and I know Shigure won't either," Kyo said.

"Okay, thanks… and Yuki?" He blinked and looked at me. "Seriously, please just call me Rei."

He smiled a bit and chuckled. "Alright… Rei."

**Ehh, sorry, I suck at ending chapters. I'm really tired right now its like 11:00 PM but It's Friday and I don't want to go to bed. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Shigure?" I called, poking my head into his room. He was sitting at his desk, tapping his cheek with a pen. "I'm going out for a walk, so I just thought I'd let you know."

"Okay Rei, don't get lost," Shigure replied distractedly.

"I won't," I promised, and made my way outside. I walked along the path in the woods, twirling around boredly every now and then.

I let my mind wander around. I wondered when school started, since I hadn't noticed the Sohmas going. Were they on break? I struggled to remember what day it had been when the fire started, but that part of my life seemed to be a fog in my mind. I couldn't remember.

It was incredible, how settled in I already was. Tohru had been right, I really felt like I belonged there. Even though Kyo has anger management issues and Yuki is always so calm and formal, Shigure and Tohru were always so kind…

I looked around me in surprise, not recognizing my surroundings. Surely I couldn't have walked very far from the house? I turned and started walking back the way I'd come, but only succeeded in getting more lost.

I sighed and just kept walking. I was bound to hit civilization at some point, anyway. I stared off to my right and tried not to think about what kind of weirdo's could be wandering around out here.

I wasn't watching where I'd been walking, so I was taken by complete surprise when the ground dropped out from under me. I wailed in surprise and squeezed my eyes shut.

Someone grabbed hold of my hand. They were too late to stop me from falling, but whoever it was pulled me close and sheltered most of the head-long tumble. We landed with a hard _thump _at the bottom of the steep hill, and I was sprawled on top of my rescuer.

I shook my head dazed. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorr— _Kyo?!_" I exclaimed, surprised when I looked up to see the familiar bright hair.

He stared back at me, just as surprised. I blushed when I realized I was still lying on top of him, and his arms were wrapped firmly around me.

His grip loosened slightly and I sat up, rolling off to the side and away from him slightly. "Sorry, sorry, and… thanks."

"No problem…" He replied, sounding distant. He sat up too, and rubbed at the back of his head. "Ow…"

"Ohmigosh, are you hurt?! Ehh, I'm so sorry!" I cried, flailing about uselessly.

"Calm down, chill, I'm fine. I just hit my head, there's just a few scrapes," He assured me, standing up and then holding his hand out to help me. "What about you? Are _you _okay?"

"Um, yeah, I think so," I murmured, taking his outstretched hand. "OH! Ow, ow, never mind!" I snatched my hand back, rubbing at my tender wrist. "I must have twisted it the wrong way… Ah I'm so sorry, you went through all the trouble and I still got hurt… I knew I would be a burden…"

"Stop that," He said, taking my other hand and helping me up. "You sound like Ritsu. You're not a burden."

"Who's Ritsu?" I asked confusedly.

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met the other Sohmas yet… He's my cousin. _He. _Keep that in mind if you ever meet him."

"Um… Okay?" I was confused, but I didn't question it. "Do you have any clue where we are? I kind of told Shigure I wouldn't get lost, but… It didn't work."

He snickered slightly and nodded. "Come on, there's a path up the hill this way."

We walked a little ways to the path he'd mentioned, and I blushed slightly when he took my hand to help me up it. He let go again as soon as we reached the top, and my hand seemed cold afterwards.

He didn't talk for most of the time, and I wanted to ask about it, but I really didn't want to pry. A few more moments of biting my lip to keep my mouth shut, and I gave up. "What are you thinking about?" I blurted.

His head snapped back slightly, caught by surprise. "What? Nothing. Just family stuff, I guess."

"Oh… Is something wrong? Is your family fighting or something? Or is it totally unrelated to that?" I blushed slightly. "Sorry, I don't mean to be pushy about it."

"No, it's fine." He murmured, talking as if he were only half paying attention. "It's… just kind of a long story."

"Well… If you want to talk about it or anything, my ears are open." I assured, and then let the walk drop back into a silence that was only slightly awkward.

When we got close to the house, he turned to look at me. "You want me to call Hatori about your wrist?" He sounded concerned.

"Oh, no, don't trouble him. I'll just wrap it up, I'll be fine." I said, flashing him a convincing smile.

Shigure came out of the kitchen with a small container of left-over takeout, having heard us return. "You two are full of dirt," He pointed out. "A little bit of lover's wrestling?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I blushed bright red, and there was a flash of color in front of me. A moment later Shigure held his head and glared at Kyo. "Well, you don't have to hit me. You know I'm only teasing." I looked at Kyo, and sure enough, he had one hand balled into a fist. I hadn't even seen him move, he was so fast.

"Well… I'm going to go change out of these clothes and wash them…." I murmured and dashed upstairs to avoid any more awkward comments from Shigure. I only took a minute to change, and then walked downstairs with a basket of laundry. I stopped by Kyo, who was just lounging around. I balanced the basket on my hip and tugged at his shirt with my free hand. "Gimme this, it's dirty."

He gave me a look, but obediently turned away and took off his shirt. I gasped and dropped my basket. "Kyo, you _are _hurt! Why didn't you tell me?" There was a huge scrape running from one shoulder down to the opposite side of his lower back.

"I'm fine, it's not a big deal." He said, throwing his shirt into the laundry basket.

"Not a big deal! You…" I huffed irritatedly. "Just sit down while I go get the first aid kit!" He gave me a weird look.

"Why does it even _matter _to you?" He asked, seeming genuinely puzzled.

I stopped in the doorway and turned to stare at him incredulously. "What do you mean why does it _matter? _Is it bad that I actually _care _about you? Besides, it _is _my fault. Just sit down so I can stop freaking out!"

Kyo stared at me for a moment, seeming surprised and confused, and sat down.

I turned and bustled around, chanting "_first aid kit, first aid kit, first aid kit!" _until I finally found it. Then I darted back to the main room and set the kit down on the table. I felt Kyo's eyes on me, but I ignored him and opened up the box. "Let's see, let's see…." I took out some antibiotic and moved behind Kyo.

"Hey, is this gonna— _Augh! _That's _cold!_" He exclaimed, arching his back.

"No, that's just my hands that are cold… Sorry!" I said with an apologetic grimace that he couldn't see.

He grumbled something incoherent and told me to just get it over with. As I watched, the muscles in his back bunched up in preparation for my apparently chilling touch. I forced back a giggle as I kept on dabbing it on, watching his muscles move every time I touched him.

"Are you done yet?" He asked, tensing again as my icy fingers got closer to his side.

"Yyyyyyes," I said, dragging it out so that I finished as I applied the last of the antibiotic. "But I dunno how I'm gonna bandage this…"

"Just leave it like it is then," He suggested, peering at me over his shoulder. He put his hands up defensively at the glare I gave him. "I'll make sure it won't smear or rub off or anything, I swear."

"Yeah, too bad I don't trust you," I said, grabbing a long, rolled-up bandage from the kit. I started wrapping it around his Torso, starting at the top and making my way down.

"I feel like a mummy," He complained.

"That's too bad, this is the best way I could think to do it. You could have just let me fall, you know."

He swiveled around to look at me, and I flicked his head to get him to turn back around so that he wouldn't ruin my handiwork. "Why would I do that?" He asked. "You would've gotten hurt."

"True," I said, finishing with the bandage and tying it off. "But you wouldn't have."

"Let's just go with the fact that it would've damaged my manly pride and leave it at that, kay?" He suggested.

I snickered and stood up. "Because you would've failed to rescue the damsel in distress?"

"Exactly," He muttered, rolling his shoulders experimentally.

"Just keep it that way for like, a day or two, okay? I don't want it to get infectated or anything."

He gave me a weird look. "Infectated?"

"Yeah… I make up words, don't judge me!"

"Uh huh… You should bring that up with Hatori, It would be hilarious if he started using your vocabulary as medical terms… Anyway, I have to go talk to Shigure. Thanks for… you know," He gestured at the bandage.

"Oh, no problem!" I said with a smile, and with that he walked away.

**I personally love how cute they were being in this chapter ^^ Reviews appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"How is this possible?!" Kyo demanded, slamming Shigure's door shut behind him.

Shigure blinked at him in confusion. "How is what possible? What are you slamming my door for?"

Kyo took a deep breath and sat down across from Shigure. "I saw Rei when she was out on her walk, and she was falling down that steep hill, you know, the one off in that direction?" Kyo explained, pointing. "Anyway, I… I jumped after her, because I didn't want her to get hurt. When we got to the bottom, she landed on top of me, and I was even holding on to her, and… I didn't change!"

Shigure smiled knowingly. "Ahh… This _is _a surprise… How nice!"

Kyo blinked in confusion. "So… do you know why…?" He trailed off.

"Oh, of course I do. It's part of being the cat. As your current guardian, of course I was told. Kazuma would know too."

"Well, what is it then?" Kyo demanded, getting irritated.

"Oh, I can't tell you. It might influence your decision about her." Shigure said with an official nod. "I'll tell you when the time is right."

"Fine, I'll just go ask Master then!" Kyo growled, springing to his feet.

"I wouldn't suggest it," Shigure advised. "He won't tell you either, you'll just get angrier."

Kyo growled in frustration and stalked out of the room, going to sulk on the roof.

_XXX … XXX_

"Rei?" Shigure called, knocking on the door of the room that Tohru and I shared. I called for him to come in and the door slid open a bit, his head poking into the room. "I just thought I'd let you know, two of our cousins are going to be visiting today."

"Okay, sounds like fun," I said with a grin. "Who are they?"

"Momiji and Hatsuharu, they're a year younger than you, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki."

"Okay. Shoo off then, I'm changing clothes."

Shigure blinked at me. "Why? Those clothes are perfectly fine."

"Not for meeting people! Do you want me to make a bad impression?" I asked, looking shocked and horrified, but mostly faking it because I wanted him to get out.

"All right, all right, I'm going," He grumbled, and shut the door behind him.

I looked through my small wardrobe, wishing I had more to choose from. At least, since it was all new, most of them were pretty much considered nice. After a moment's deliberation, I slid into a black mini-skirt, a green tank top that matched my eyes, and a white jacket. I made a mental note not to go outside today, so I wouldn't get the jacket dirty.

I brushed through my hair and washed my face, killing time until the new Sohmas showed up. Once I ran out of things to do, I just kind of stood and stared out the window. Kyo was out in the yard practicing some kind of fighting move, and I watched in amusement. A breeze blew through the window and I closed my eyes against it, enjoying the tickling feeling it brushed across my skin.

After a little while I stepped away from the window and looked into the mirror again, I started fidgeting with my hair, my clothes, making sure I looked nice. Once I couldn't fix anything else, I just stood there and stared. Have you ever gotten that feeling, the one where you completely recognize the person staring back at you in the mirror, but at the same time, you have no clue who she is?

That's the feeling I was getting. I didn't understand it, and it made me kind of sad. I cast my gaze away and tried to shove the thoughts away, but I couldn't stop thinking about that feeling. Why did the girl in the mirror look so different now? Just because my hair was an inch or so shorter… Why does the girl in the mirror look so much happier in this one, than she did in the one at home?

"Rei!" A voice called from downstairs. "Rei, c'mere!" Tohru called again.

I made my way slowly down the steps, and didn't look up until I reached the bottom. Standing in front of me were Shigure, Yuki, Tohru, Kyo off to the side, and two boys that I could only assume were Momiji and Hatsuharu. I blinked. Hadn't Shigure said that they were only a year younger than us? One was short and blonde, and looked like he could be starting middle school. The other was tall, with ridiculous black and white hair, and was kind of scary.

The blonde one bounced up and down in excitement. "Oh my gosh, she's so pretty!" I blushed slightly as he ran over to me and tugged my arm. "My name is Momiji!"

"Oh, um, thanks… Nice to meet you." I glanced up at the other boy. "So… you must be Hatsuharu, then?"

He nodded, took a step closer, and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. You can just call me Haru."

I took his hand and shook it, giving him a cross between a half smile and a smirk. "You too… and nice hair."

"It's his natural color," Tohru pointed out.

My eyebrows raised incredulously. "You're kidding me. Is that even possible?"

Haru smirked. "You want me to prove it?"

"NO!" Kyo and Yuki yelled out simultaneously.

I blinked in confusion at them. "Why? What does he—"

"Trust me," Kyo said, giving me a look. "You don't wanna know."

"Um… okay…" I murmured, and looked around, unsure of what to do now.

Shigure walked into the room at that moment. "Ah, it would appear the gangs all here. I'm assuming that you've all been introduced? My Rei, don't you look lovely? You definitely have the legs for that skirt!"

My eyes widened and I blushed furiously, half-stepping behind Tohru. Kyo, Yuki, and Haru all smacked Shigure.

Momiji looked ponderingly at me. "He's right, you have pretty legs!"

I blushed even harder. I just got complimented on my legs by a boy who looks like he could be a boy that I _baby-sit_… That's weird.

Yuki was giving Momiji a look, Haru seemed amused, and Kyo… looked like he was about to explode. A vein pulsed angrily in his forehead, and his fists were clenched.

"Oh, hey, Kyo," Haru intervened before Kyo could start bullying Momiji. "Didn't you say there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"What? Oh, yeah," Kyo said, cast a quick glance at me, and then looked back at Haru. "Come on, I don't want everyone listening in."

I watched him go curiously, and shook my head, deciding if it was something he wanted me to know, he'd tell me in his own time.

Momiji pulled me out of my thoughts, dragging me into a deep conversation about his favorite anime.

_XXX … XXX_

"… And I didn't transform," Kyo concluded. "Shigure knows what's going on, but he won't tell me. Master knows too. Apparently they need to wait until the 'right time,' whatever that's supposed to mean."

Haru looked thoughtful. "Well obviously, Rei is special somehow… So don't do anything to piss her off. It would suck if you found out what's going on just to lose her."

Kyo bristled. "Why does everyone think I'll inevitably ruin things by doing something stupid?!"

"Nice use of a big word. And you have a tendency to jump into things, you can't deny it. Just play it cool, wait it out. You'll figure things out eventually."

Kyo just grimaced and walked back inside.

_XXX … XXX_

"Oh, I know, I know!" Momiji squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Rei should come with us to the last week of school, and then she could come to the Summer School Dance!"

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Tohru exclaimed. "Will you come, Rei? Please? You could meet Hana and Uo!"

"Um…" I said, biting my lip. "Yeah, I s'pose it could be fun. But how am I gonna get in? I don't think they'd let someone attend for just the last week…"

"Don't worry about that," Shigure put in. "I'll call the principal and tell her that Tohru has a guest that will be coming with her for the last week."

"Oh, thanks Shigure." I said with a smile. "So, what's the deal on this big dance?"

Momiji clapped his hands. "It's a huge school-wide dance to celebrate school getting out! They always have one on the last day, and it goes until way late in the night!"

I blinked. "How do you know? Isn't this your first year in high school?"

"They told us all about it in class," Haru explained

"Is it formal?" I asked, hoping it wasn't. I obviously didn't have a formal dress, and I didn't want to make them buy me anything else.

"Semi-formal," Yuki muttered.

I smiled to myself, mentally going through my wardrobe and picking the perfect thing.

"Ohmigosh, Rei, are you gonna wear…." Tohru trailed off on her question, her eyes having a slight glint to them.

I grinned and nodded. "But you definitely have to wear…" 

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" She said quickly. "Besides, wouldn't it be weird if we…"

"No, no, no, it would be sweet. We'd have one of those walking in and time just stops moments, where everyone is all like… you know?"

"Do you think? Yeah, I suppose… this is going to be so great!"

Haru blinked in confusion. "Anyone know what they're talking about?"

"Rei has corrupted our Tohru," Yuki said matter-of-factly.

"Our entrance has to be dramatic," Tohru said, leaning towards Rei as she spoke. "Should we like, choreograph it? So we do it right?"

"No, no, no," I said, shaking my head and leaning in to our mini-conference. "It has to be like, natural. Trust me, it'll be fabulous!"

"Definitely," Tohru said, smiling. "Besides, who needs a date to look amazing?"

My eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, this is a date dealio? Yuki, you're asking Tohru to go, right?!" I asked, turning to him.

He blushed and stuttered. "Well, I, uh, if she, um…"

Tohru blushed as well. "Oh, he doesn't have to, if he doesn't want to," She said shyly.

"Well, I was planning to tomorrow anyway…" Yuki muttered. "Tohru, would you like to go to the dance with me?" 

Of course, Tohru had a bit of a spasm, spouting nonsense about how he didn't have to ask just because I'd suggested it and so on and so forth.

"Tohru!" I said loudly, grabbing her by the shoulders so she'd look at me. She stopped talking and stared with wide eyes. "Just chill out and answer the man already."

"Y-yes," She stuttered.

"Isn't that interfering?" Kyo asked skeptically.

I just shrugged and shook my head. "Not when it would've happened eventually anyway."

"Wait, what day is it today?" I asked suddenly.

"Sunday," Haru replied.

"Yay!" Momiji cheered. "School tomorrow!"

"But… Don't I need a uniform?" I asked.

"You can borrow one of mine, of course!" Tohru exclaimed.

I smiled excitedly. I could hardly wait.

**Again with the sucky ending to a chapter… sorry. Reviews appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I walked down the street in my borrowed school uniform, Kyo on my left, Tohru on my right, and Yuki on her other side. Momiji and Hatsuharu didn't walk with us, but we'd meet them there.

The whole way Yuki and Tohru chatted about some decision or other made by the student council, and Kyo walked in an almost brooding silence. I was content to be left to my thoughts for the moment.

"Tohru!" A voice called the moment we walked on campus.

"Uo! Hana!" She called back, waving. I looked up to see a tough-looking girl with pretty blonde hair, and an almost eerie girl wearing all black.

"Who's your new friend, Tohru?" The blonde asked.

"This is Rei Otsuka!" She said with a huge smile. "She's going to stay with us now! Rei, these are my best friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima!"

"Nice to meet you," I greeted with a small wave.

"We'll, we've gotta get going. People to terrorize and all that good stuff," Uo said. "Nice meeting you, Rei."

Yuki tugged lightly on Tohru's hand. "Would you like me to show you that website I was talking about?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much!" Tohru exclaimed, then glanced at me. "But what about Rei?"

"Oh, I'll be fine!" I said with a smile. "I'll make Kyo show me where things are. Go ahead!"

Tohru gave me a slight smile and followed Yuki into school. I glanced at Kyo and held back an exasperated sigh.

"Do you always wear your tie like that?"

"Like what?" He asked, surprised.

"Like _normal. _You look like you have a stick up your ass. Here, lemme help." I reached forward and pulled on the knot, making it so it hung loosely around his neck. I stepped back and tapped my chin ponderingly, then undid the top two buttons of his shirt. "There you go," I said, satisfied. "That way suits you so much better."

He gave me a look. "I probably look ridiculous, and you just want me to walk around looking like an idiot."

"No, I swear. It looks hot like that," I said with a mischievous wink. "Now show me where the classroom is."

He blinked at me, looking like he was questioning my sanity, but shrugged and started walking. I skipped forward to catch up, and then walked by him. "Soooo…" I said conversationally, and then nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. "Got a hot girlfriend?"

"No," He said, turning his face away from me, but too late to hide his slight blush.

"Why not?" I asked, moving in front of him and walking backwards.

"Because I just don't, okay?" He snapped.

I shrugged nonchalantly and turned forward, so he wouldn't see me scowl. I hate it when people snap at me, despite the fact that I do it all the time. "Whatever, I was just asking."

There was a slight pause, and then he sighed. "Hey, I'm sorry," He said grudgingly. "I didn't mean to yell or anything."

"Yes you did," I said matter-of-factly, linking my hands behind my back and continuing to walk a pace in front of him. "If you hadn't been irritated enough to yell, then you wouldn't have in the first place."

There was another pause, and then, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Make something pointless sound smart," He said, giving me a weird look.

I blinked at him. "I dunno… That's just the way I am." He just kept looking at me, and I looked right back. After a few awkward moments of our childish staring contests, I looked away, blushing slightly. And of course, it was that moment that the toe of my shoe caught in the crack of the sidewalk, and I fell forward.

My arms shot in front of me to lighten my fall as I readied myself for impact on the unforgiving concrete sidewalk. I was surprise when instead I felt a pair of warm arms wrap themselves around me and pull me back up. "What is it with you and falling?" Kyo demanded, making sure I was steadily back on my feet before releasing me.

"What is it with you and saving me?" I asked with a slight scowl.

"Would you rather I let you fall and die next time?" He asked, raising his eyebrow skeptically at me.

I paused, pretending to think before I answered. "No," I finally answered with a pout.

"That's what I thought," He chuckled. "Come on, the classroom is this way."

I followed him down the hallways in silence, ignoring the stares of other students and whisperings about the mysterious new girl.

"_Gosh, isn't she pretty?"_

"_Her hair looks like it was cut by a five year old"_

"_She's cute, think she would go out with me?"_

"_What is _she _doing with the Prince's cousin?"_

"_Are those two dating?"_

I blushed slightly at the last comment, stared at my feet, and tuned the whispers out.

"Ignore them," Kyo advised. "The kids at this school would die if there wasn't something new to gossip about."

"Isn't that the deal at most high schools?" I asked sarcastically.

He just shrugged and stopped in front of a classroom door. "Here we are. And by the way… You look cute in that." He pushed the door open and walked in before I could respond. I looked down at the uniform I'd borrowed from Tohru, blushed, and hurried into the room after him.

Uo, Hana, Yuki, and Tohru were already there. I sat swiftly in the seat that Tohru had saved for me.

"Where have you two been?" Hana asked in a monotone.

"Making out in some corner, I bet," Uo said boredly. "Look, she's still blushing, too."

Kyo jumped to his feet with his fists clenched and started shouting at her, things something about ridiculous, insane, etc. etc. I just rolled my eyes.

"Kyo, shut up. The more you make a fuss about it the more they'll think you're denying it."

"I _am _denying it!" He yelled.

"But when you shout about it, it's more like a guilty denial," I pointed out.

He glared at me for a minute, then sat back down with a scowl.

"I like this one," Uo said decisively. "She can make orange top shut up without even fussing about it. That takes skill."

"It's a gift," I said with a modest shrug and a laugh.

"Yes… She does have some very nice waves," Hana said solemnly.

I looked at Tohru, confused and more than a bit creeped out, but the teacher called the class to order before she could reply.

I sat there the whole time, staring out the window boredly. As I didn't actually attend this school, I wasn't required to pay attention. After a while I got bored, so I took out a sheet of paper and a pencil and started doodling.

I never really tended to concentrate on what I drew before, but today I watched intently as the paper came to life, sinuous lines connecting and linking together to form a lean and feisty cat. It stared coolly at me from the sheet, and I continued to draw little squiggles to show its fur.

Once I found I couldn't shade it to make it look better, I dug around in my bag until I found a pack of colored pencils. I tinted its fur with a light orange. I deliberated with the eyes, staring thoughtfully for a moment. Green eyes were too normal for a ginger cat.

"Give him red eyes," Tohru whispered from the desk to my right. I looked up in surprise, and blushed when I saw Kyo, sitting in front of me, and Yuki, one desk up and to the right, watching.

"Um… Okay?" I took up the red pencil and carefully filled in the cat's irises with it. When I glanced up again, Kyo blushed and looked away. I blinked in confusion, but didn't think anything of it.

A minute later, the bell for lunch rang, and I hurriedly put my stuff away, taking care not to crumple my picture.

"So, is the cat your favorite animal?" Yuki asked conversationally once we were all in the hallway. He had an amused smile on his face, and I wondered how that was funny.

"Well, I guess. I've been a cat person for as long as I can remember, so…"

"Rei! Tohru!" An excited voice called from behind us. I turned to see Momiji running down the hallway, waving and…

"Momiji, what in the world are you wearing?!" I exclaimed as he came to a halt by us, Haru following behind him.

"Don't you think the girls' uniform suits him, Rei?" Haru asked.

"Um… I suppose…" I stuttered, but shrugged it off. I'd figured out by now that sometimes, with the Sohmas, it's better just to leave weird things alone.

"Come on, come on, let's go eat lunch!" Momiji said excitedly. He took my hand and started running forward. I stumbled a step, and then ran after him so I wouldn't tear my arm off. I looked at the others over my shoulder, and most of them were laughing. Kyo, however, was scowling.

"Lighten up, Kyo, or your face will stick like that!" I shouted back to him. This succeeded in making everyone laugh harder but him.

Momiji pulled me outside and over to the shade of a large tree. "We eat lunch here when it's nice out!" he explained.

I laughed. "Well, it is a pretty nice spot, and there's no doubt that the weather's beautiful today," I said, pulling an apple out of my bag.

"Please don't tell me you're one of those girls who thinks they're obese and only eats one meal a day," Kyo said sarcastically, showing up with the rest of the gang.

"Nah, I'm just not that hungry. I'm small, I don't eat much." It was true, I'd always eaten that way. I'd just have tons of teeny little meals throughout the day. The part about being small was true, too. The top of my head would probably just come up to Kyo's chin.

"Besides, it's not like you're one to comment on figures, Kyo," Haru muttered, poking Kyo in the side.

I laughed aloud. "Careful, Haru, we all know how fragile Kyo's self-esteem is."

Kyo sat there and glared at us, muttering angrily.

"If you're gonna throw insults, why don't you say them to my face?" Haru snapped. I blinked in surprise. He'd been calm and joking a minute ago, hadn't he?

Kyo scowled and stared defiantly at Haru. "I said, you're a _cow, _you shouldn't be commenting on figures either."

In a blur, Haru had Kyo pinned to a tree by his shirt. "Crap," Yuki murmured. "Haru's gone black…"

**Dun, dun, dun!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

I watched with wide eyes as their fight turned into a full on brawl. I was impressed, though. Apparently all the practicing Kyo did had paid off, because he was pretty much owning. That is, until Haru threw in a cheap shot.

Haru glanced off to the side, and his eyes widened in fake surprise at nothing. Kyo, instead of taking advantage, glanced over too. Haru kicked out and knocked Kyo's legs out from under him. He hit the ground with an audible _thump_ and gasped, the air knocked out of him.

My eyes narrowed and I chucked what was left of my apple at Haru's head. It neatly hit its mark, and Haru froze where he was and turned around. "Who… just threw that?" He asked venomously.

I glared at him. "You fight cheap, you know that?" I sneered. "Just because you're not good enough to land a decent hit doesn't mean you can get off using lame tricks like that. You're not proving anything."

"Rei," Kyo said in a warning tone, sitting up. I just ignored him as Haru walked slowly towards me. Tohru tugged at my arm, but I shrugged her off.

"You think I tripped him because I'm not _good enough _to do anything else? I did it because he's annoying and deserved it."

I glared straight up at him. Literally, Straight up. He was so much taller than me that I had to crane my neck backwards to look him in the eye, which I'm sure didn't make me look very intimidating. He was lucky that he's so much bigger than me, or I would smack him.

"What makes him deserve it?" I asked coolly.

"He's the _cat, _what makes him _not _deserve it?"

"_Haru!" _Yuki snapped, but he was ignored. My angry glare turned puzzled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

Haru laughed aloud and looked at our group behind me. "What, you haven't told her? Is she just not as special as Tohru?" He laughed and looked back at me. "Poor Rei, secretly disliked by the very family she's staying with. How sad."

I shook with anger and indignation, and this time I did smack him. It probably didn't carry much force, since I had to reach up to do it, but it made me feel better nonetheless.

However, much to my irritation, it didn't even seem to make him mad. In fact, he suddenly looked surprised and confused. "What just happened?" He said, looking around.

I screamed in frustration and stormed away. _What just happened?! _I'm in the middle of telling him off and he asks _what just happened?! _

I heard jogging footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn to see who it was. I didn't even look when he stopped and started walking beside me, but in my peripheral vision I caught a flash of orange hair.

"Hey, just ignore Haru. He's an ass, yeah, but… That's the way he is, I guess," Kyo muttered awkwardly.

I halted suddenly and turned to face him. "You're not even _mad?!" _I hissed.

"Of course I'm mad," He said incredulously. "I just know that's the way he is, so I'm not allowed to hold it against him.

"See, Haru's got like this… split personality. Whenever he gets really mad, he pretty much snaps. Black Haru, we call him. You get used to it."

I glared stubbornly at the ground and crossed my arms. "That's a really, really, _really _stupid excuse," I spat. "I just wasted a perfectly good rant on him, and he didn't even let me _finish. _He made me look like an idiot!"

"I wish he _had _let you finish. You don't even know how satisfying it was to see you telling him off. That was amazing." I blinked at him in surprised, and he blushed a bit. "Well, y-you know, since no one else ever does, and stuff… most people are scared of him when he gets like that."

"Why not? I mean, he can't be that hard to fight. You were kicking his butt until he tripped you."

"That's because Kyo trained in the mountains for a whole four months!" Momiji called, skipping over. Kyo glared at him, but he just shrugged. "They wanted me to come see what's going on, since you guys were taking a while and Yuki wanted to make sure you didn't kidnap Rei or something!"

"Chill," I said, sensing Kyo's temper tantrum. "He's joking. Let's go back."

As expected, Kyo's mouth had just opened to shout at Momiji, but he seemed to deflate the moment I started speaking.

"Wow, Rei, you're like magic!" Momiji exclaimed, and then he took my hand and tugged me back to the group, exclaiming about my magical powers.

After that, nothing really eventful happened. My week at their school flew by quickly, and before I knew it, it was Friday. Tohru and I walked onto campus, the boys trailing a ways behind, arguing over something or other.

We made our way to the classroom, chatting excitedly about the dance. As I sat in my desk, I though about the dance and prepared for what was likely going to be one of the longest days of my life.

_XXX … XXX_

Kyo strolled randomly around campus, cutting class. There was an apple in his hand, which he tossed up and caught repetitively. He had originally cut class because he was hungry, so he'd gone out on the grounds to pick some fruit from the trees. Going back to class now would just be stupid, because he'd undoubtedly get a lecture on being tardy from the teacher.

"Kyo! Hey, Kyo, whatcha doin?" Momiji called, skipping towards him.

"Momiji, why the hell aren't you in class?" Kyo asked, trying not to get irritated.

He shrugged. "I didn't feel like it. Anyway, are you going to the dance with Rei?"

Kyo took a deep breath to keep his temper. "Why in the world would you think that?"

"Well, you want to, don't you?" Momiji seemed confused. "You like her, right?"

Kyo looked at the boy incredulously. "Who's putting these ideas in your head?!" He demanded.

Momiji clapped and jumped up and down. "You didn't deny it! That means you _do _like her!"

Kyo threw up his arms in exasperation. "I never said that!"

"Come on, Kyo!" Momiji pleaded, tugging on his sleeve. "You can tell me! I know it's true! Do you want me to ask her for you? I could do that!" With that, Momiji darted off.

"Come back here you runt!" Kyo shouted, sprinting after him. "She's in class anyway! _Momiji!_"

He soon lost track of him. Being the rabbit, there weren't many who could keep up with Momiji.

_XXX…XXX _

The second I got out of class, I was bombarded by Momiji.

"REIREIREI!!!! Kyotoldmehelikesyou! ! Youwouldbesocutetogether!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Momiji, slow down," I said, putting my hands up to stop him. "I can't hear a word you're saying. English, please?"

"I _said," _Momiji spoke very slowly, and I twirled my finger around so he would get to the point. "I think Kyo likes you! And you should go to the dance with him!"

I blinked in surprise and glanced at Tohru, who just giggled, waved, and walked off with Yuki.

"I can't help but not believe you, Momiji. If he wanted to go to the dance with me, he'd have to ask me himself," I said with a shrug. "Let's go to lunch, I'm starving."

Momiji and I made our way outside, to the usual lunch spot. Of course, the minute we got within hearing range, Momiji started yelling. "KYOOOO!!!! Rei said— _Mmph!" _He cut off abruptly as I clapped my hand over his mouth.

"Shut _up!" _I hissed. "You don't need to tell the entire world!"

Momiji sulked, and I kept my hand in place for a moment to make sure that he would stay quiet, and then removed it. He sprinted forward immediately, and I smacked my forehead. The boy would never learn the act of subtlety.

I walked slowly and calmly after, watching him talk animatedly and Kyo growing steadily more irritated. I arrived as Kyo was shouting at everyone else, who were laughing hysterically. His face was turning pink with anger. "I never said that!" he yelled.

"Stop laughing, it's not funny. Kyo, calm down. Momiji, you shouldn't jump to conclusions or spread rumors," I said sternly as I walked up. The last chuckles died away, Momiji pouted, and Kyo sat back down.

I blinked and then burst out laughing. "I love that you all actually listen to me."

Yuki shrugged. "What can I say, we bow to authority."

"How in the world do I have authority?"

"Well, you don't, I suppose. You just sound like you do." Tohru pointed out.

I blinked and glanced skeptically at Haru. "So you're telling me that Mr. Testosterone over there listens to people just because they talk tough? Doubt it."

Haru smirked. "Or maybe I just listen 'cause you've got a pretty face," He said with a wink.

Kyo glared daggers in his direction, and I laughed.

We all sat there for about a half hour after that, talking, laughing, teasing, and eating. Eventually, the bell rang, signaling that we were supposed to get back to class. Haru, Momiji, and Yuki stood and waved goodbye, walking to their respective classes. Tohru stood and glanced back at me. "Are you coming?"

I shrugged and laid back in the warm grass, putting my hands behind my head. "I don't think so. I mean, I don't actually attend here, so I don't have to, do I? I really just want to relax and enjoy the sun."

Tohru shrugged and smiled, then glanced at Kyo. "Are you cutting too?"

I had my eyes closed, enjoying the tingle of warmth on my skin, so I didn't see the nod Kyo must have given her.

"Alright, I'll see you two after school then," She said, and I heard the uneven steps pounding against the sidewalk as she skipped off.

I lay there contently, enjoying the feel of the sun on my skin, and squinting about the red tint it set against my closed lids.

"So where did you go to school before, anyway?" Kyo asked suddenly. My eyes flitted open and I glanced at him.

"I was home schooled. Daddy was a doctor, but my mom was a writer, so she could stay at home and teach me stuff."

"He was a doctor? I wonder if he knew Hatori…"

"Hatori Sohma?" I asked, with my wide eyes. "You know him?"

"Yeah, we're related… Kyo Sohma, Remember?" He said, giving me a weird look.

"Oh… right. I suppose there aren't that many different Sohma families. That's so strange, I've known Hatori since I was little. He never mentioned having family members my age though… But I suppose I never asked."

He just kept on giving me that strange look. "I can't believe you know Hari… It's not like he's exactly social, you know?"

"Oh, I know! He's so hard to talk to. I always felt like he was judging whatever I said. Then again, since half of what I said back then was little kid nonsense, he probably was…" I said with a slight laugh.

"So, how did your family know him? I know that Hatori is more of a family doctor, I'm pretty sure he didn't work at a hospital."

"Well, my parents didn't tell me much…" I said uncertainly. "But what I've gathered, My mom and Hatori used to be pretty close. I was a weak kid, and my dad was really busy with work back then, so he couldn't take care of me when I was sick. My mom called Hatori and asked him to help out, so he did," I said with a shrug.

"Huh…" Kyo muttered, looking thoughtful.

"What about your parents, Kyo?" I asked. "Why do you live with Shigure instead of them?"

Kyo grimaced and glanced away from me. "My mom committed suicide when I was little, and my dad blamed me, so I never really knew him that well."

My face flooded with sympathy and I reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm so sorry"

He looked at me in surprise and awkwardly shrugged out from under my hand before looking away again. I felt slightly rejected, but I masked that little bit of hurt and shoved the sympathy off my face, figuring he didn't want it.

"S'not so bad…" He murmured. "I still had a father. My master, Kazuma, he took me in… He was probably a better father than my biological one ever would have been, even if my mom was alive."

"I see," I said stoically. I folded my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, propping my chin on my knees.

He looked at me confused, then it seemed to dawn on him. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… To push you away or anything. I'm just… not good with people," He said awkwardly.

I just shrugged. "Not a problem."

"Really, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," He pressed, tilting his head to try to get into my line of vision.

I blinked and stared into his crimson eyes, his face probably five inches from mine. "I know. It's not a big deal," I said, glancing away again and hiding my blush.

He didn't look like he believed me, so I sat up more, keeping my legs folded like they were. "Okay, so what's your favorite color?"

He blinked in confusion at the sudden change of subject. "Red?" He voiced his answer like a question.

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Cat," He replied with a slight smirk.

I laughed slightly. "Mine too. Type of music?"

"Rock."

I tapped my chin in thought. "Time of year?"

"Fall."

"Um… Weather?"

"Anything but rain."

"Really? I think the rain is fun. My mom and I used to go outside and dance around whenever it rained, and then we'd go inside and have hot cocoa, and then we'd sit with a ton of blankets and watch movies until bedtime…" I smiled at the fond memory.

"Rain wears me out," He said bluntly.

I blinked and shrugged. "Okay. Well then… your least favorite food?"

"Leeks!" He said, shuddering at the word. I smiled in amusement.

"Um…" I started tapping my chin again, trying to think of another question.

"Hey, I've got a question for you…" He said, sounding slightly uncertain.

"Okay, shoot," I said, looking up at him curiously. He didn't say anything, just sat and bit the inside of his cheek. "Were you planning on saying something _today?_" I asked after a minute of this.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" He blurted suddenly.

My head jerked back suddenly in surprise. "Pretty last minute there, aren't we?" I said with a raised eyebrow. I internally scolded myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth. He flushed and looked away.

"Sorry, just pretend I never said that. It was stupid anyway," He rambled.

"Kyo, that's not a rejection…" I said quietly. "I'd love to… Unless of course you still think it's stupid."

"What? No! I didn't mean… Er… That is, I…"

I laughed and shook my head. "Just stop talking before you manage to make this more awkward for yourself. Yes, I'll go with you. Okay?"

"Sounds good," He mumbled, running a hand through his hair and blushing.

"Anyway, what's up with you and Yuki? I mean, it's obvious you two don't like each other. Why is that?"

His nose crinkled, and he obviously didn't like the direction of the conversation. "It's a long story. I guess you could just say that we just never got along."

I just shrugged, deciding not to press him for answers. I shivered as a cloud crept over the sun, and the wind blew against me.

"It's getting kind of cold out," Kyo noted. "You wanna go back home?"

I shivered slightly again and nodded.

He stood and held out his hand to help me up. I took it, letting him help me to my feet. We started walking, just close enough so that my arm brushed against his with every step. I smiled slightly to myself, and tried to remember if I'd ever felt quite this happy.

**Another bad ending to a chapter… sorry. And I apologize for not updating for a while, but this chapter is pretty much insanely long, so you're welcome! Reviews still appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

**YAY, my first two reviews came on chapter 7! Thanks so much to my first reviewers, you rock! 8D Anyway, sometimes when I read back I find small punctuation errors, if you find any, please ignore them. Big twist coming up kinda soon (not real soon, but kinda soon) so I'll try to update often. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter Eight

_XXX …Kyo's POV… XXX_

Kyo sat on the porch, his legs dangling off the edge. He was thinking about how many things he could've done different, how he could've made things less awkward when he'd asked Rei to the dance.

_I bet that damn Yuki wouldn't have messed that up like I did, _he thought grudgingly. _Why does he have to be so freaking perfect?_

"Kyo, might I have a word?" Shigure asked, walking outside.

Kyo glanced indifferently at him. "Sure, whatever."

"I hear you're going to the dance with Rei?" Shigure inquired.

"Yeah, what of it?" Kyo snapped.

"Well, I just figured you might want to know the answer to your question about her, why you don't change when you hold her, but if you're going to be that snappy about it…" Shigure stood and made movements to go inside, but Kyo grabbed his arm fiercely.

"Tell me," He demanded.

Shigure sat on the porch about a foot away. "As you know, the cat's curse is basically a lot worse than the curse of all the other zodiac animals," Shigure started. "Because of this, God took pity on the cat. He gave him a way to find the one human in the world that he's meant to be with. God made it so that if the Cat were to embrace that one perfect person, the curse wouldn't react and change him, thus eliminating any… complications in their relationship."

Kyo sat there, stunned. "So basically, you're telling me Rei is my soul mate," He stated disbelievingly. 

"That's what I'm saying," Shigure confirmed.

"You couldn't tell me that before _why?_"

"Because you're not supposed to feel obligated to like her. If you had known you two were meant for each other, you only would have loved her with your mind, not your heart. At this point, I've seen you two together, seen the way you've started to look at her. You like her, do you not?"

Kyo nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess I do…"

"As I thought," Shigure said with a smile.

"Man, what am I gonna tell her?" Kyo murmured to himself, massaging his temples with his fingertips. It was a lot to take in.

"You can't tell her!" Shigure commanded. "For the same reason that I couldn't tell you before. You have to confirm her feelings first."

Kyo glared angrily at Shigure. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?!"

"My suggestion? Wait until she sees what you're really like," Shigure said quietly, eyeing the red and white beads strung around Kyo's wrist.

Kyo followed his gaze, and snapped his hand out of sight. "She's _not _going to see that!" he said fiercely. "Not if I have any say in it." With that, he bounded off to the roof to think.

_XXX … XXX_

Tohru and I sat in our room for about two hours before the dance, fussing over even the tiniest details. We were both so excited we could hardly sit still, and Tohru was being a total perfectionist, checking that everything was in place for her outfit and then checking mine, over and over again.

An hour before the dance, I poked my head out of our room. The hallway was empty.

"Yuki?" I called, keeping as much of me inside as possible so that our outfits wouldn't be spoiled. Muffled noise came from his room and his head poked out. "Are you and Kyo ready yet?"

"What time is it?" He murmured, glancing around for a clock.

"You fell asleep, didn't you?!" I demanded irritably. "It's six thirty, you have a _half hour_ to get ready! And where in the world is Kyo?"

Yuki grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry, it doesn't take guys as long to get ready. I'm pretty sure Kyo is on the roof… I'll send Shigure to get him."

I stared him down for a moment, then nodded and pulled my head back inside. Tohru looked anxious.

"Do you really think that they'll be able to get ready in time?" She worried.

"Chill, Tohru. I'm sure they can handle it. I mean, it's true, boys hardly take any time at all to get ready, which really isn't fair…" I murmured at the end, reaching out to absently fix a single stray hair poking out of Tohru's sleek ponytail.

We sat and chatted excitedly, anticipating the fun night, for about fifteen minutes. Then there came a knock on the door, and Shigure's muffled voice came through it. 

"Girls? The boys are ready when you are." He informed us.

"Ready when _we _are?" I demanded. "We've been waiting for them for the last half hour!" I pulled back the door and Shigure blinked in surprise.

"I thought this dance was _semi_-formal," He said confusedly.

"It is," I responded shortly.

"Well… at any rate, you two look wonderful."

I smiled in thanks and handed him my camera. "You're in charge of taking pictures before we leave." With that I linked my arm through Tohru's, and we walked downstairs.

Kyo and Yuki were standing on opposite sides of the room, pointedly not looking at each other. Yuki wore a normal black tux, with a purple tie. Kyo had on a white dress shirt, a pair of nice jeans, and I was amused to notice that his tie was loosened, with the top few shirt buttons undone. As soon as we reached the bottom of the steps, their gazes snapped upwards simultaneously, and their eyes almost popped out of their heads.

"Wow…" Was all Yuki could manage to say, his eyes taking in Tohru. I could feel her blush radiating from where I was standing. I almost smirked at Kyo's expression.

"My eyes are up here," I informed him after a moment, pointing towards my face. It's not like he'd been staring at any inappropriate places, but I still wanted to give him crap. As expected, he blushed and looked away.

"Pictures!" Shigure sang out from behind us on the stairs. Tohru and I clapped and jumped out of his way. 

"Okay, first a picture of Tohru and Yuki. Then Kyo and me, and then I'll need a group photo," I instructed, motioning the two of them over to a good spot and pulling Kyo out of the way. Shigure held up the camera, focused, and snapped the picture.

Then Kyo and I were up. He slung his arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into him, grinning at the camera lens. As soon as I heard the _snap _of the shutter, I motioned Yuki and Tohru over. I wrapped one arm around Tohru and pulled her into a hug for the camera, and the boys stayed at our sides.

Shigure snapped another picture, and then I ran forward and snatched it from him.

"Come on, we're gonna be late!" Tohru said anxiously, and soon after that we were out the door.

I came to a sudden halt on the porch, my jaw dropped.

"You guys rented a _limo?!_" I squealed.

"You guys didn't have to do that," Tohru protested. "We could have just walked there."

"Well, Rei probably would've snapped her ankles in those heels, anyway." Kyo pointed out. "Come on lets go."

I followed, muttering about being a professional in high heels, and we all slid into the back of the limo.

We laughed, chatted, and pumped up the music in the back car, getting pumped up. If partying in a car could be that much fun, I couldn't wait to see how great this dance was going to be.

As soon as we reached the school, we piled out. We strolled towards it in a line, Tohru and I in the center, linking arms. There were little signs up in the hallways, guiding us to the humungous school gym.

Tohru and I led the way in, and paused at the door. I popped my left hip, Tohru her right, so that we were kind of leaning into each other, and put our opposite hands on our hips. We gazed around the room, not even paying attention to the looks we were attracting, the murmur rippling through the crowd closest to the doors.

I let a small, smug smile grace my lips. The two of us had gone all out in our outfits.

Tohru wore a light baby pink dress that ran just past her knees. Her skirt was ruffly and frilly, and full of sparkles. The sleeve was in between a normal strap and an actual sleeve, kind of just covering her shoulder. Her hair was in a high pony, and she wore dark purple eye shadow with shimmer smudged into it. Her eyelashes, elongated with mascara, gave her eyes a wide, innocent look. She wore pink flower earrings, and light blue flats that she had been so sure wouldn't match, (I picked them out for her) but of course, they looked perfect.

My dress was a sleek, strapless, deep purple number that showed off my curves. The skirt slid out in waves just above my knee. I'd slid enough glitter onto my arms to make me glow under the neon lights, but not so much that I would look like a disco ball. My hair was up in a messy bun, and I'd curled the strands in the front to perfect ringlets. I had on silver high heels, silver hoop earrings, and yet more silver in the form of a twisty heart necklace. I had on a thin line of eyeliner and some mascara, and light brown eye shadow with darker brown smudged in the crease, to give it a more dramatic look.

We glanced at each other, smiled, and made our way into the room. The gym had been completely transformed, decked out with strings of lights and large round tables to rest at. There were streamers hanging around, balloons tied to every available post, and the stage at the end was full of the deejay's equipment.

"Tohru! Rei! You two look so gorgeous!" Momiji shouted, waving and running up to us. He wore a black tux, and the shirt under it…

"Momiji! Wow, pink really suits you!" I exclaimed with a laugh.

"Doesn't it?" Haru shouted over the music, walking towards us. His tux was white, and the sleeves were ripped off. The white shirt he wore under it was undone, and he had on black dress pants.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Only you could make a tux so…. So _you_," I said with a shake of my head.

"What's wrong with me?" Haru asked, feigning hurt.

"Oh come on, don't you have some other girls to pester?" I teased.

He checked his nonexistent watch. "Nope, you're the only one on my schedule tonight," He confirmed.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes and leading the way to the dance floor. Tohru scampered up beside me, and Kyo stayed just behind. Momiji ran forward, finding a clear space on the dance floor for us to occupy.

I paused to find the beat, and then started swiveling my hips to it, raising my hands above my head. Tohru watched me for a moment, and then mimicked my movements. Momiji was jamming out in his own little way that would have been just creepy and annoying on anyone else. Haru stood with his hands in his pockets, bobbing his head to the rhythm, while Yuki and Kyo just watched us from the edge of our circle.

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed. I grabbed Kyo's arms and started swaying them around. "_Dance!_"

"I can't dance," He objected, but he didn't resist the movement.

"Anyone can dance," I told him. "Just not everyone is crazy enough to try. Come on Kyo, live a little. Dances are no fun unless you _move!_"

He gave me a look. "I'll look like an idiot."

I swept my arms out to the side, gesturing at the crowd. "Do you really think everyone here is paying attention to every little move you make? Just give it a try. _Please?_" I finally pulled out my pout card. I allowed my lip to just out just a bit and looked up at him through my lashes.

He sighed and pulled one arm from my grip so he could run his hand through his hair. "Alright… fine," He finally said grudgingly.

I squealed and clapped, then started instructing him.

"All you've gotta do is move. Listen to the beat and improvise. It's not hard," I assured him. He stared at me for a moment, and then started self-consciously moving to the music.

I smiled at him and then glanced at Tohru, who was now trying to make Yuki dance, using the same pouting method that I had. She looked at me, smiled, and then put her attention back on her date.

"Would you excuse me for a moment? Gotta run to the ladies room real quick," I said to Kyo. "Be back in a minute."

He nodded and I weaved away through the crowd. The moment I stepped out of the gym I was hit by a blast of cool, refreshing air. I closed my eyes and enjoyed it for a moment, and then made my way off to the bathroom.

I only took a minute or two, doing various lady things, mostly just checking my hair and make-up. I glared at one little curl that didn't feel like staying the way I wanted it too, and finally just slicked the piece back with some water from the sink.

I walked slowly back to the gym, looking around the deserted halls. Once I arrived, I stood off to the side of the doorway, looking for my people. What with the flashing lights and tons of bodies swarming in various dance moves, you can imagine that it wasn't that easy to pick them out. Finally I just started swerving through people, figuring if I just walked around I'd find them eventually.

"Hey look, it's that _new _girl," I heard someone snicker from nearby. I looked around in confusion.

"Yeah, I hear she's staying with the Sohmas. Are they trying to run a whore house or something?" Another said. My fists clenched and my jaw ground in frustration as I twirled about, trying to find whoever was talking.

"Probably. I mean, look at how _low _that dress swoops. I wouldn't be surprised if her night job was working the streets." This voice was a girl's. As I turned, I caught her at the end of her sentence.

"You wanna start something?" I growled at her.

The two guys next to her just snickered. "Look how cute, she's trying to stick up for herself," One of them sneered.

"Yeah, It's almost like she thinks she could do anything to us," The other laughed.

My nails were digging into my palms now, because my fists were clenched so tight. "Hey, Ugly One and Ugly Two, shut the hell up." I snapped.

"Hey, at least they aren't as bad as _your _date," The girl smirked at me. "Or didn't you know? It's over the whole school that he only even talks to you because he feels _sorry _for you. How depressing is that?"

I took two deep breaths, trying to stay calm. "You don't know anything. You're just a jealous little tramp who wishes she could've gotten anyone better than those two little idiots."

"Are you kidding?" She said incredulously. "I could've gotten anyone I wanted. I could've come here with _Yuki Sohma_ if I'd wanted to."

I snorted with laughter. "Yuki? As if. He's here with Tohru."

"Tohru _Honda?" _The girl said with surprise, then laughed sharply. "That so figures. She probably had her freaky wave girl friend brainwash him, there's no other explanation that he would put up with her plainness."

I shook with anger. She could say whatever she wanted about me, I didn't care. But starting on my friends… She was just asking for it. Angry tears pricked my eyes and I took a step forward, opening my mouth to shout angrily at her, but she cut me off.

"You know," She said thoughtfully, looking me up and down. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Kyo isn't just here with you out of pity. Maybe he just wants you for your body. After all, that's all you're good for."

My furious tears were brimming and spilling out of my eyes now, and I was about to leap at her when another voice called out. "Hey!"

I glanced up. Kyo was pushing through the crowd towards us, glaring angrily at the three jerks. I took one look at him and fled.

I kept my head down as I full-on ran out of the gym, not so much as stumbling over my heels. I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't be able to stop my tears until I'd calmed down, and until then I'd be a red-eyed, tight throated mess. No way I would let him see me like that.

_He only went with you because he feels sorry for you. Or maybe he just wants you for your body. That's all you're good for. _

I ran until I was on the grounds, under the tree that we'd eaten lunch under the past week. I crumpled there, not paying attention to whether or not my dress got dirty.

That couldn't be true… could it? Kyo wasn't that kind of guy. He wouldn't lead someone on like that… Would he?

My head pounded, and I couldn't hear much over the sound of my whimpering little cries. That's why I was taken entirely by surprise when a form dropped down to kneel in front of me.

**WHO IS IT?! Bum ba dum. Anyhow, there's a possibility that I won't update as often for a while, because I have play rehearsals. However, I'm on break this week, so I'll probably have plenty of time to write then. Thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks so much to my reviewers! I'm glad you like it, and Happy Easter!**

Chapter Nine

"Hey, is everything all right?" A girl's voice asked softly. I blinked the blurriness from my vision and stared wide-eyed.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just some jerks saying crap…" I choked past the lump in my throat.

"You're not hurt or anything?" She checked.

"No, I just started crying because I'm angry. I do that a lot," I said with a weak attempt at a laugh.

"Well, that's a relief, I suppose," She said with a kind smile. "Well, not that I'm happy that they were jerks to you, but at least you're not hurt. My name is Mai, what's yours?"

"I'm Rei Otsuka…" I said quietly, wiping at my face. "And I suppose I look like a mess. What a great first impression."

"Oh, you're the girl that's staying with the Sohmas, right? I've seen you around, but never talked to you before. It's nice to finally meet you in person!"

Mai was, simply put, gorgeous. She had dark brown hair that was usually straight, but tonight was curled up and just brushed her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown, and she had long eyelashes that didn't even need mascara. She was thin and tall, and had on a light blue floor length gown. One wrist was covered in silver bangles, and the other had an elegant wrist watch. Apparently Tohru and I weren't the only ones who disregarded the "semi" part in semi-formal.

"Come on," She said, smiling. "Why don't we go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up? I heard you're here with Kyo, is that true?" She helped me up and paused until I nodded a yes. "Then we should make sure you look real nice for him."

I returned her smile, deciding that I liked this girl. I had just met her, and she was such a sweetie.

"I'm in the same grade as you, but we're in different classes, obviously, which is why we haven't met before," She explained. "Besides, you were only here for a week, weren't you?" I nodded. She held the door open for me as we reached the bathrooms, and I made a beeline for the full length mirror to assess the damage. I groaned aloud when I saw.

My hair had mostly survived, but that stubborn piece had stuck back out again. My makeup was smeared all down my face, and my eyes were still slightly red rimmed, though it was starting to fade. I started reaching for a make-up bag, when I realized that I didn't have one with me, and I flailed in panic.

Mai chuckled and handed me her purse. "I've got make-up in here, you can use some of it. There's even some remover, so you can get rid of the streaks."

I smiled gratefully and breathed a rushed thank you before diving into the bag to find what I needed.

I quickly scrubbed off the tear-and-make-up streaks from my face and started re-applying everything I needed to my eyes. A few minutes into this there was a timid tap at the door. I looked up in confusion, wondering who the hell was too shy to enter a public bathroom.

"Rei?" Kyo's muffled voice came through the door. I froze, my hand stopping halfway to my eye with eyeliner in hand. "Rei, are you in here?"

I still hadn't moved, so Mai stuck her head out the door. "Can I help you?"

I could almost imagine Kyo's expression. He would blink and jerk back slightly in surprise, and then raise an eyebrow skeptically before answering. There was just enough of a pause before his words for what I imagined to be true. "I'm looking for Rei," He said bluntly.

"Well she's fixing herself, so you'll just have to wait," Mai said sternly. I sighed in relief and went back to my make-up.

"Wait, she's actually in there? What happened, is she okay?"

"Oh hold your horses and ask her yourself, she should be done in a few minutes" Mai commanded.

To my surprise he didn't argue, and Mai pulled her head back in. "Your prince awaits," She teased. I just rolled my eyes.

"I thought Yuki was the one referred to as prince around here?" I questioned, applying the last of my make-up and screwing the top back on.

"That's true, but Kyo played prince charming in the play 'Sorta Cinderella' a while ago. It was hysterical, you would have loved it," Her eyes looked slightly far away, and she chuckled, remembering.

I blinked. "_Sorta _Cinderella?"

"Well, Tohru cried in practices because she felt bad for being so mean, since she was the evil stepsister. Hana would only wear a princess dress if it was black, and of course Kyo had issues with his role. We ended up rewriting the script."

I laughed aloud, imagining all this, and looked in the mirror one last time. I tucked the annoying stray hair behind my ear, then nodded in approval. "Okay, I'm ready. And Mai? Thanks a lot."

"No problem!" She exclaimed with a large smile. "Come on, we'd better get out there before Kyo thinks I drowned you in a toilet or something."

I stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing, then stumbling my way toward the door. I had to keep my hand against the wall as I walked to keep my balance, I was laughing so hard. I'd just met her and she'd been so consistently kind since that first moment, the idea of her trying to _drown me _in a _toilet _was simply hysterical.

I sobered up as soon as I saw Kyo. He looked so worried, it made my heart ache. I immediately wrapped my arms around his waist in a tight hug, trying to wipe that look off his face. He was still for one surprised moment, and then returned my embrace. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine," I murmured, my face buried in the cloth of his shirt. "Just some idiots talking crap and pissing me off."

"Don't listen to them, they're just jealous bastards." He said fiercely. "You don't have to worry about them anymore. I gave them a thing or two to think about."

I looked up at him in a kind of admiring horror. "Did you beat them up or something?" Despite the fact that I had wanted to do that so badly myself, I kind of disliked imagining him wiping the floor with them.

He shook his head. "Not beat, per se, I just roughed them up a bit. Haru helped too, he was pretty pissed." I blinked. I hadn't seen Haru, but I suppose it was possible that he was following Kyo before I ran away and I'd just lost sight of him in the crowd.

"Why was Haru pissed?" I asked confusedly.

Kyo gave me a weird look. "Why wouldn't he be? We all were. Did you think we'd be fine with some idiots calling you… Wait, what did they say anyway?"

I blushed and looked down at my feet. _He feels sorry for you. He just wants your body. Are they trying to start a whorehouse? _"I'd rather not say," I whispered.

"Come on, you can tell me," He said gently, putting one finger under my chin and tilting my head back so I would look at him. I stared with wide eyes for a moment, then blushed and jerked away, suddenly remembering Mai. She was watching silently, a small smile gracing her lips.

"W-we'll talk about it later. Come on, let's go back. We're missing out," I stuttered out excuses.

He sighed lightly and nodded. I lead the way back towards the gym, Kyo was one step behind me, on my left, and Mai walked beside me on my right. She filled the air with light chatter, successfully relieving us from an awkward silence. I smiled and listened, nodding when needed.

"Oh, Kyo, this is my friend Mai, by the way," I said suddenly. "And Mai, you already know Kyo."

"Nice to meet you in person," Mai said, her ever present smile growing slightly.

"Uh, yeah, same," Kyo murmured with a nod of acknowledgement.

At that moment we reached the gym, and I wandered over to the floor. I stretched my neck upwards, scanning for the others. Kyo took my hand and lead me through the crowd, and I quickly grabbed Mai's arm and pulled her along. Before long we were back to our little circle of friends.

Tohru was the first to see us. "Rei!" She squealed. "There you are! Are you okay?" At this, everyone's heads snapped in my direction. Tohru ran forward and gave me a tight hug.

"Yeah I'm okay, just some jerks saying crap," I repeated for, what, the third time?

"I still think we shouldn't have let them off so easy," Haru growled, cracking his knuckles. I shivered at the sound and smacked his hand.

"Stop that, it's gross," I said sternly.

"Just tell us if they give you any more trouble, Miss Otsu— Rei," Yuki told me, hastily correcting himself at the end.

"Will do," I said with a nod. "Oh, and by the way, everyone, this is my friend Mai," I announced, stepping backward to take Mai's arm again and pull her forward. "Mai, this is Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Momiji Sohma, and Tohru Honda."

Mai smiled and gave a shy little wave. Momiji bounced around, excited to have a new friend. Haru bowed his head slightly in greeting, and Yuki returned the small wave.

There was a pause as the current song ended, and we waited for the next song to come on. Apparently the Deejay had blanked out or something, and didn't have the song ready. After a few silent moments, a few sweet notes floated out of the speakers and a slow song started.

_XXX … XXX_

"Aren't you going to ask her to dance?" Haru asked skeptically. Kyo shot him a glance.

"I dunno," Kyo muttered, shifting his weight anxiously from foot to foot. Should he? Would she want to? He glanced her way. Rei was huddled with Mai, whispering something. She looked up at him, widened her eyes a smidge to find him looking back, and hurriedly turned her attention back.

"What are you afraid of?" Haru demanded. "It's not like you'll change. What's the worst that could happen?" _Rejection, _Kyo thought worriedly. "You won't get rejected," Haru snapped, as though reading his mind, and gave him a shove. "Just go, already."

"Alright, alright!" Kyo said in protest to the shove, and stumbled forward. He paused to fix his expression, putting on the most charming smile he could manage. He went over to the whispering girls and tapped Mai on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Mai giggled and stepped back.

Kyo turned to Rei and his expression softened slightly. He couldn't help but think for the billionth time that she looked amazing tonight. "Would you like to dance?"

_XXX … XXX_

I blushed, but didn't look away from him like I wanted to. I tried to rediscover my old self, the one that had dealt with flirting so easily, and was always cool and collected around guys. "Of course," I murmured, and he took my hand and pulled me close. I twined my arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around my waist, and we swayed gently.

I sighed lightly and set my chin on his shoulder, happy that my high heels made me just tall enough to do so. His head tilted to the side, resting on top of mine. I felt so amazingly content at this moment, I could hardly stand it. My heart felt strange in my chest, and I let out another sigh, this one soft and happy.

I bit my lip then, and thought about what Mai and I had talked about. I'd asked her why she thought Kyo was being so quiet, and she insisted that he must think I was keeping something from him, since I'd been so obviously uncomfortable when he'd asked about my confrontation.

How could I say to him that I'd been told he was only with me out of pity and lust?

I was so afraid if I said anything he'd be angry, either at them for saying it or me for believing it.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice rumbled quietly. I jumped a bit, being snapped out of my worries.

"Er, huh?" I stuttered brilliantly. "Um, just… you know, stuff…."

I could sense his disappointment in my further refusal to talk to him, and my chest ached again, as it had when I'd seen him so worried about me. Why did I have to make him feel such negative things? Why couldn't I just make him _happy?_

"They called me a whore," I whispered, my voice shaking. I felt him stiffen in surprise, but I pushed on. "Th-they said they wouldn't be surprised if I worked the corners at night. They called Tohru plain, and s-said that you guys were trying to s-start a whore house or something. And they said…" I stopped there and buried my face in his shoulder, the rest of me shaking now as well as my voice.

"What else?" He murmured, trying to make his voice soft and soothing. I could hear it, though. He was furious, and attempting to cover it up so I wouldn't get more upset.

"They said…" I started, my voice sounding choked. I pulled back slightly so I could wipe at unshed tears before they could ruin my make-up a second time, but allowed myself to stay in the warm circle of his arms. "Y-you only came here… with me, because.. b-because you pity me." I was struggling to speak through the lump in my throat, and I was losing the fight against my tears. "A-and that you just w-want my body." I turned my face away from him and covered it with my hands.

I felt so ashamed, saying it out loud. I could feel shock practically radiating from him.

"Rei, do you really _believe _that?" He exclaimed incredulously.

I just stood there and shook for a moment, then peeked up at him through a crack between my fingers. His face was a mix of more negative emotions. Shock, incredulity, sadness, but so strong that it almost covered all of those was anger. He was practically spitting mad, and he didn't even bother trying to hide it. I flinched and looked away, frightened. Was he mad at _me_?

Then I felt the reassuring warmth of his arms tightening around me again, and I tried to relax. I clung to the front of his shirt, trying to make sure that none of my eyeliner-blackened tears dripped onto the white fabric.

"That is _not _true," He murmured, and though his voice was soft, he sounded firm, as if this point was crucial, and something I needed to understand. Then again, it probably was. "Those three are just…" I could tell he was struggling to find a word to describe them that would be okay to say in front of, say, a three-year-old. "Complete and total idiots," He finished lamely. "They're just jealous and don't know anything. You can't listen to them, okay? Everything they said was a total lie. Don't listen to it."

I listened to him ramble for a moment before reaching up and placing one finger over his lips. His words stopped abruptly, and I nodded slowly. "I know that now," I said quietly. "It's just… It s-seemed to kind of make sense." I took this chance to take my hand back and wipe at my face, using it as an excuse not to look at him.

He was quiet for a moment, and then, "You really think I'm that kind of guy?" He sounded hurt.

My head snapped up, and I stared at him with wide eyes. "No, no, that's not what I meant!" I said hurriedly. "It's just that…" I looked down again, and shuffled my feet. "I didn't really see any other reason that you would even think of coming here with me."

There was another pause, and I peeked up at him. He was staring back down at me, bewildered.

"You really can't think of _any _other plausible reason that I might want to go to a dance with you?" He demanded skeptically.

I blushed, feeling stupid, and looked away.

His arms went around me again, and he pulled me into a fierce hug. "I came because I like you, you idiot," He mumbled gruffly, pressing his face into my hair.

I stood in his embrace for a confused moment, and then let out a strange sound that was a strange mix between a hiccup and a laugh. I let one more tear escape my eye, and then scrubbed it away.

He pulled away slightly and used his thumb to wipe at what I imagined was another stupid make-up smear.

"Maybe I should just give up on the make-up," I suggested, attempting a laugh.

He smiled softly at me. "That's fine. You look just as amazing without it, anyway."

With that, the song ended. I blinked and looked around. That must have been a _long _song.

Yuki and Tohru were pulling away from each other, where they had been dancing with a strange amount of space between them. Momiji had taken Mai's hands and started twirling around with her during the song apparently, and they let go now, laughing merrily. Haru was shamelessly flirting with some giggling girl, while her date stewed angrily with arms crossed.

Had none of them realized the intense moment going on over here? Huh. Oblivious much. Not that I was complaining. I would have been mortified if they'd seen.

As we regrouped, Mai was the first to notice my faint tear streaks. "Rei, what happened now?" She asked with concern.

I laughed it off and scrubbed at my face again, trying to get them off. "It was nothing, just Kyo talking crap," I teased.

The next song started playing. There was a moment of excited joy as the first few beats were recognized, then Mai, Tohru, and I squealed in unison.

**Well, that's it for now. What did you think? I love their cuteness here 8D Anyway, what song do you think should be playing now? It's gotta be a major jumping around party song, and I've got an idea for it, but I just wanted to know if you guys have a request for what it should be! Submit a suggestion in a review, and thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the wait, I haven't been home quite as much as I've planned to be, and whenever I was home I wasn't really in a mood to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song that they are dancing to here. I just like it, it makes me smile 8D**

Chapter Ten

_This is something new, the Casper Slide part 2, featuring the platinum band, and this time, we're gonna get funky. Everybody clap your hands!_

Grinning wildly, the three of us girls joined one of the lines that were forming, clapping our hands to the beat.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands._

_Alright, now we're gonna do the basic step. To the left, take it back now y'all._

We eagerly followed the dance's instructions, sliding first to the left, and then sliding backwards.

"What in the world is this?" Kyo's voice grumbled behind us. I stopped dancing and turned to look at him.

"You've never heard the Cha cha slide?!" I demanded. He shook his head, and I resisted the urge to smack my forehead. Instead, I took his hand and dragged him up to the line.

"I can't dance," He protested, seeing my intentions.

"Of course you can, all you have to do is listen to what the song is telling you to do."

_Right foot let's stomp. Left foot let's stomp. Cha cha real smooth._

It was pretty hysterical, watching Kyo following along. His reactions to the song's directions were almost always just a moment late, making a pretty funny picture.

_Turn it out._

I turned to the side and glanced over at the rest of the group. I could see Momiji dancing along, following the steps perfectly. He was also trying to get Yuki and Haru to join him, but they refused, of course.

The rest of the song went normally. Kyo eventually managed to get on time, and every once in a while one of us would slide the wrong way and ram into someone, laugh it off, and keep going. At some point, Tohru managed to convince Yuki to join us, and watching him do it was even funnier than watching Kyo, just because Yuki was the one who was always so calm and formal.

Too soon, the song ended. We laughed some and regrouped. The rest of the dance went without incident, except for the boys being horrified and the girls amused at my knowledge of the lyrics in Sir Mix-A-Lot's _Baby Got Back._

After a while, the deejay announced the last song, and we all groaned as he put on a song that everyone either disliked or didn't know. Our group migrated over to the wall, to allow room on the dance floor. We started chatting about random things, and somehow the conversation turned to the Sohma family.

"You hafta meet Kagura, and Ritsu, and Kisa and Hiro, and Rin, and Hatori!" Momiji cried, bouncing excitedly as always.

"Anyone but Ayame," Yuki said dryly.

"She already met Hatori, when he was working with her wounds," Tohru pointed out.

"Actually, she knows Hatori more than we thought… right?" Kyo asked, looking at me.

I blushed slightly. "Yeah, turns out I've known him since I was a kid. He and my mom were friends."

Tohru blinked in confusion and surprise. "Then why didn't you recognize him, that first time we talked to you?"

I felt my eyebrows furrow as I thought about it. That was right, I could faintly remember him being there, the first time I woke up. "I… I'm not sure, I guess. Probably because I was drugged and in pain, half asleep, and in an unfamiliar place… I was a bit disoriented, to say the least."

"It makes sense," Yuki said slowly.

"I might have to check in with him soon," I thought aloud. "I miss Hari."

Haru feigned shock. "You miss _Hari_?! Surely we must not be thinking of the same Hatori Sohma."

"Oh, shut up Haru," I laughed with a roll of my eyes. "He's not that bad. A bit creepy, sure, but nice enough."

There was a silence at these words, and I glanced up. All the Sohma cousins were just kind of staring at me, but Tohru smiled. "I agree, Hatori can be very nice!" She said brightly.

At this, Haru scoffed, but didn't say anything

"Fine," I huffed. "Dislike your own family. It's none of my business."

"It's not that we dislike him," Yuki put in quickly. "He's just a bit… cold. Hard to be close to."

"I understand that. I still think—" My words cut off and I glared as I spotted the three jerks from earlier among the crowd exiting the gym. They were snickering and pointing at me. I glared icily in their direction, which made them laugh harder.

Kyo followed my gaze, and his face seemed to turn to stone as soon as he spotted them. He made as though to lunge towards them, but I grabbed his arm just in time.

"Just leave them, Kyo," I insisted. "They're not worth it."

"Besides, we can just track them down later and take them out," Haru seemed pleased at the idea, cracking his knuckles absently.

I sighed and resisted the urge to throw my hands in the air, instead settling with smacking my forehead.

"Resistance is futile, you might as well just give in to the fact that you're one of us now, so any asshole that has the guts to mess with you is gonna have to deal with us." Haru pointed out.

I felt a happy swelling in my chest at his words. _You're one of us now. _I felt like screaming, but instead I just said, "You guys are impossible."

"They get that way," Yuki muttered with a shrug. Haru and Kyo just smirked smugly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, let's get out of here." I suggested.

_XXX … XXX_

We all walked down the street, laughing. We'd all agreed that this night wasn't allowed to end yet, so we'd paid the limo driver and told him to go back to… wherever limo drivers go, we would walk home. I held my silver heels in one hand, letting them dangle over my shoulder. My other hand was encased inside Kyo's larger one. He'd casually taken it as soon as we'd left the school, and for once nobody gave him any crap about it.

We had to drop off Mai first, because her house was closer and we wouldn't have let her walk anywhere alone anyways. Once we reached her house, I gave her a hug, there was a group exchanging of phone numbers, and she was gone.

The next stop was the Sohma house, to drop off Momiji and Haru. I'd never seen the Sohma house before, and I was anxious to discover what it looked like. My temper flared slightly when I heard the boys murmuring about splitting up and just walking home separately, so that someone named _Akito _wouldn't see me. Momiji had been chattering idly, and I wondered if he'd been trying to distract me.

I quickly told them off, using my superior actress skills to feign hurt and accuse Kyo of being embarrassed of me. After that, they readily agreed to allow the risk of me walking by the estate.

I fought to keep from gaping at the huge wooden gates we stopped in front of. It's not like I'd never seen a rich person's house before, but I hadn't thought they'd be _that _rich. I could see the tops of the shingled roofs and many pine trees peering at me from above the monstrous brick wall running around the property. It stretched farther than I could see, which wasn't really saying much.

I blinked as Momiji hugged my arm as a goodbye, and Haru ruffled my hair. I crinkled my nose and immediately put my hands up to straighten it out at least a bit, but decided he'd done too much damage. I dramatically tore out the ponytail holding it up and shook my hair out. Haru laughed lightly and turned to follow Momiji through the gates. I tried to peer through them, but only managed to see a long stone walkway bordered by trees before the doors swung shut. I also thought I glimpsed a mysterious dark figure lingering in a rounded window, but I might have imagined that.

Yuki, Kyo, Tohru and I walked the rest of the way home mostly in silence. We were all too tired to attempt a conversation, but the silence was comfortable. I leaned my head against Kyo's shoulder as we walked, and he released my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulder. I found myself struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and my eyes kept drooping against my will.

Several times he asked if I wanted to be carried, and each time I insisted that I could make it the rest of the way home. I did too, but I hardly managed to make it to mine and Tohru's room. I collapsed on the bed, but I didn't even manage to make it the whole way. My upper half was sprawled across the covers, and my legs dangled off the edge so that my feet barely brushed the floor.

I was aware of Tohru tugging on my shoulder, insisting that I needed to stay awake long enough to change out of my dress or it'd get all wrinkled. I moaned and slumped to the floor, pulling at the fabric. Tohru, seeing that I wasn't about to do things myself, grabbed a nightgown from my part of the closet and set it on my bed before helping me pull the dress off over my head. I let her, putting my arms up so she wouldn't have to struggle so much. She was a girl, she'd seen it all before. It's not like she'd be checking me out, and I was too tired to care about being exposed.

I got the nightgown on myself, tugging it over my head and halfheartedly wrestling my arms through the sleeve holes. Then I slumped back to the floor, not about to move myself again.

There was a slight pause, and then Tohru's light footsteps padded towards the door. It slid open, and I heard her calling lightly out into the hall, but I didn't bother listening. A moment later, another pair of footsteps entered, slightly heavier than hers. Warm, strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me upwards.

Kyo kept one arm around me and balanced my weight on one knee while he tugged back my covers and set me gently in my bed. The covers were pulled back over me and he kissed my forehead lightly. I sighed in contentment and fell into an easy sleep.

_XXX … XXX_

I didn't wake until late morning. I sat up, stretched, and yawned, rubbing at my bleary eyes. I still felt exhausted, but it wasn't a sleepy exhausted, if you get what I mean. The kind of exhausted where you don't want to sleep, but you don't want to move or do anything productive.

I forced myself to get up out of bed anyway, slide into some comfortable clothes that I wouldn't be caught dead wearing in public, and avoided looking in the mirror. I knew I would just see a mess of smeared makeup and tangled hair, and I didn't want to go through the effort of actually making myself look nice. I settled with pulling back my hair and quickly splashing my face with cool water before wandering downstairs.

The moment I reached the bottom of the steps, shouting erupted from the kitchen. I easily recognized Kyo's angry voice, and hurried to investigate. I turned the corner just in time to see Kyo smack Momiji upside the head.

"Waaaaaah! Kyo hit me!" Momiji wailed.

"Kyo!" I snapped, striding into the room. His head jerked in my direction, and I saw his eyes widen, then gaze down in shame. He obviously hadn't known I was there, and he knew he'd be in trouble now. I felt strangely like a mother, enforcing good behavior between two argumentative children.

"Why on earth would you hit _Momiji? _Poor thing. You ought to be asha—"

_Poof._

I blinked through the cloud of yellow smoke. What had just happened? I'd gone to comfort the still wailing Momiji with a hug….

**He he he…. I'm sure we all know what happens next! How will she take the news? Hopefully it won't be too long until I update again, thanks for being tolerant! I know It's been quiiiiite a while since my last chapter, and I'm sorry! I've been so busy with theatre, I haven't gotten home until nine at night the past week, so I hope that's a good enough excuse. Thanks for reading, reviews appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry, I know the last chapter was short. I'll try not to let it happen again! I know, I know, I've been really bad with my updates, but that's because for the past couple weeks I've only had like, an hour of free time per day because of play rehearsals. (We're doing M*A*S*H, the old war show!) Anyway, hope you enjoy this one!**

Chapter Eleven

"M-momiji? What in the world…" I trailed off, staring in amazement as the yellow smoke cleared and I was able to see. I must've fallen over, because I was now kneeling on the floor with a small lightly colored bunny on my lap. Momiji was nowhere to be seen.

"Hang on, hang on, you _still _haven't told her, Kyo?" Momiji's voice emanated from the small furry creature. I gaped down at it in disbelief.

"Told… Told me what?" I inquired, ripping my gaze from the bunny to stare up at Kyo with wide eyes. He refused to look at me, staring off to the side.

"About the curse!" The Momiji rabbit exclaimed.

"Curse? You have a curse?" I shook my head hard, not quite believing what I was hearing.

Kyo reluctantly turned to look at me, nodding slowly.

"Just tell her everything, already!" Momiji demanded.

Kyo sighed. "Alright, but we should move to somewhere more comfortable. It might take a little while." He offered me his hand and I slowly took it, allowing him to pull me up while keeping one arm around the rabbit that I now realized really was Momiji, somehow.

Kyo led the way upstairs and started heading down the hallway to his room. "Mine and Tohru's room has more places to sit," I pointed out, pausing at the top of the stairs. Kyo hesitated, nodded and turned to follow me into the room I shared.

I took a seat on my bed, absently stroking Momiji, who sat in my lap and twitched his whiskers. Kyo took a seat on Tohru's bed, across from me.

"Well, you've heard about the twelve animals of the zodiac, right?" Kyo started, and paused for me to answer.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. God had a great banquet and invited the twelve animals of the zodiac, but the Rat tricked the Cat into thinking the banquet was the day after the real one, so the Cat didn't make it and isn't included in the zodiac," I summarized.

"Exactly," Kyo muttered with a scowl. I raised an impatient eyebrow at him before he continued. "Anyway, that story is real. The Sohma family is cursed with the zodiac. Whenever we're hugged by someone of the opposite gender, we change into our zodiac animal."

I sat quietly for a moment, letting it sink in. How was that even possible? I mean, I'd believed in magic and such things as a kid, but I'd pretty much grown out of that. Now the childish belief was being yanked back into my life, and it was making my head hurt.

"So… Momiji is the rabbit of the zodiac…" I muttered, stating the obvious. Momiji's nose wiggled in affirmation.

"And there's twelve?" I asked to make sure, running through the Sohmas I already knew in my head.

"Thirteen, counting me," Kyo muttered, scowling again.

I stared at him in confusion until it dawned on me. "You're the Cat." Momiji's nose wiggled again and Kyo just nodded.

"That explains a lot," I thought aloud. "I've always liked Cats. So what about Shigure and Yuki? Is Haru one too?" I hurriedly babbled to cover up my cat statement.

"I bet you can guess Haru," Momiji's voice came from my lap. "It's the reason he has naturally weird hair!"

I tapped my chin as I thought. "Let's see… His hair is black and white, right? What zodiac animal has… Oh! He's the Cow, right? Or the Ox. Whichever he prefers, I suppose."

"Yuki is the Rat!" Momiji called from my lap, yelling to get my attention. "And Shigure is the dog!"

"Cool, cool," I murmured, allowing myself more time to take it in. Then another thought popped into my head. "Hey, what about Hatori? Is he in it?"

Kyo snickered and nodded. "He's the 'Dragon'" He told me, putting air quotes around _Dragon. _

"Why the air quotes?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"His zodiac is more of a half-baked version of its former glory," Kyo explained with a roll of his eyes. "He turns into a Seahorse."

I felt my jaw hang from it's hinges as I stared at Kyo incredulously. "A _Seahorse?_!" I exclaimed. He nodded, and I burst into a fit of giggles, imagining creepy, stoic Hatori as a little Seahorse.

_Poof. _

I blinked in surprise as I was once more blinded by yellow smoke. I waved a hand in front of my face in an effort to regain my vision, and in a few moments it cleared. A full sized, boy shaped Momiji now sat in my lap.

I blinked again at his smiling face, and against my will my gaze traveled to his bare torso. I shrieked and averted my eyes before I got any farther.

Before I knew it, Kyo had flew across the space between the two beds and jerked Momiji off my lap, throwing a blanket on top of him.

I shook slightly and let myself look at Momiji again, now swathed in Tohru's comforter and plopped on the floor. "So... You're, um, naked when you change back… huh?"

Momiji laughed happily and nodded. "Yup!"

Kyo smacked his forehead, obviously making an effort not to beat the kid to a pulp, since he knew I'd get upset.

"Right… Um… Note to self, don't hold zodiac animals..." I muttered. It was then that another thought came to my mind. "Wait a sec, I've hugged you before, Kyo. How come you didn't change into a Cat then?"

Kyo's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly glanced away from me. "I don't know," He said mechanically, obviously lying. I narrowed my eyes and stared at him until he looked back at me.

"Yes you do," I said pointedly. "It's happened more than once, so it can't be a fluke. It's got something to do with me specifically, right?" He nodded slowly. "Then I have a right to know."

"I know, I know," He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'd really like to tell you, but… I can't."

I snorted in disbelief. "I don't believe that."

"Really, Shigure wouldn't even tell me at first, until he was sure that… Sure of something," He quickly reworded. I stared at him suspiciously. "I can't tell you until I know something."

"Know what?" I practically snapped. "Just ask, I'll tell you. I don't keep secrets."

"Then how come you haven't told any of us what happened on the night I found you?" I could tell he was stressing out, because his words came out harsh.

I flinched and outright glared at him. "Because nobody has ever _asked!_" I yelled, and stormed from the room, tears prickling my eyes. Did he have to bring up such a painful subject? He had to have known my parents were dead, why else would I still be here? Not to mention that now he was keeping things from me.

I stomped outside and to the nearest tree, then moved around it so that I wouldn't be easily visible from the house. I leaned my back against the trunk and slid down to a sitting position, arms wrapped around my knees. In the time that I'd spent here, (had it only been two weeks?) I couldn't help but feel that Kyo and I had… Well, we'd grown close.

_What is he keeping from me? What does he need to know?_ I blinked furiously, trying to fight back the upset tears welling in my eyes. I was probably overreacting, and I knew it. It was just one of those things that I couldn't seem to help. I could understand why he'd kept the secret of the curse from me. That wasn't entirely his to tell. But this… this was just about him and me. There had to be something strange between us to make his curse ineffective around me. But what?

I hitched in a breath and held it, hearing the soft sound of the front door swishing open from the house. I quietly let the breath out, trying not to attract attention to my hiding spot.

"Rei!" Kyo called out. I resisted the urge to peek around the trunk to see his expression, figuring he'd probably see me. I managed to hear the tiniest bit of a sigh from my distance, and imagined him running his hand through his hair. "Rei, come on! I'm sorry, okay?"

I bit my lip to keep back another wave of tears. I battled viciously, but one damp warrior managed to slip past my defenses and roll down my cheek. I wiped angrily at it, thankful that at least I wasn't wearing makeup at the moment.

"Rei, please come out? Rei?" I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my hands into fists. He sounded so sincere! But I couldn't help but think that he could be faking it. He could be faking a lot of things.

_But why would he fake things? _A small, hopeful voice inside of me whispered. _He cares about you, why should he hide things? What is there to fake?_

I mentally swatted aside the sweet little ray of hope. How should I know why he would hide things? All I knew is that there _was _something he wasn't telling me, and he wasn't even bothering to hide the fact.

_Because he couldn't hide it, _the little voice murmured, returning. _He's no actor. He couldn't possibly fake any emotion. He may keep secrets, but he's a horrible faker._

I bowed my head slightly, giving in to that bit of logic without a fight. Why would I fight against what I'd like to believe?

I stood up and moved to the side of the tree so I could view the whole house and yard, leaning my side against the trunk with my arms crossed. Now that I watched, I could see something just a bit catlike in Kyo's slightest movements, see it in the way everything he did seemed to be smooth.

It took him a moment, but soon enough his gaze swept to my tree, past me, and then back in disbelief. He'd probably already looked in this direction and was surprised by my sudden appearance. He sighed in relief and jogged in my direction. I didn't move a muscle.

"Rei!" He called as he got closer and finally stood in front of me. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that or anything."

I thought back to the first day I'd gone to school with them, and Tohru and Yuki had left us alone. He'd snapped at me that day, then tried to say he hadn't meant to. I'd told him off for it. I would do so again, but I felt no need to be redundant.

"I don't care if you snap at me or not," I muttered coldly. "I care that you bring up things that tear me up inside, like some jerk, instead of thinking before you say crap."

He sighed and looked down, scratching the back of his head. "I know, I'm sorry Rei. It's just that, I've been kind of wondering about what happened, you know, before you met us, but I didn't want to upset you by asking or anything."

"So you decided to upset me by being an ass about it instead," I rolled my eyes, totally skeptical.

Kyo seemed at a loss for words. He'd probably expected me to just forget about it after the first attempt, but if he wanted to keep me in his life, he was going to have to make an effort. He'd learn that eventually.

"Rei, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed again, voice pleading. He gazed at me with wide, begging eyes that reminded me of Puss in Boots from Dreamworks' _Shrek._

"Whatever," I muttered, crossing my arms and glaring off to the side so I wouldn't have to see those eyes. "Just use your partially existent brain before you say something stupid from now on"

He didn't answer, unsure whether I had forgiven him or not. I glanced at him and forced a small smile to reassure him that I'd let it slide. He grinned and held out his hand. I hesitated before taking it and letting him lead me into the woods.

We walked in comfortable silence for some time before he spoke. "So… what did happen? You know... On that night."

"There was a fire," I said quietly.

"I could tell by the burns," He murmured, squeezing my hand slightly. "How did it start?"

I closed my eyes, my head hanging, sure that he'd guide me away from anything I could trip over, or at least catch me if I _did _trip. "It was my fault," I muttered, the words hardly recognizable even to myself. I cleared my throat and went on. "I left the burner on… Dad left the paper near the stove."

Kyo stopped walking, I could tell by the slight tug on my arm. "That's… not good." He didn't really know what else to say.

"No duh."

"So why did you run?"

"It was that or be put in some stupid foster home," I snorted, gazing away again. "The choice was obvious. As if I'd let some desperate wimps who aren't brave enough to do 'it' try and replace my parents."

I knew that wasn't really true, that most people who adopted kids did so because they _couldn't _have any of their own, but I didn't care.

I took a deep breath and tilted my head back, fighting tears again. Just thinking about my old life hurt, but not because of the reason I thought it would. It hurt because, now that I allowed myself to really look at it, I could see how little I really missed it. Yeah, I wanted my Mom and Dad back, their loss hurt like hell. Besides them, I didn't really care about much back then.

"You can cry if you want, you know." Kyo spoke quietly. I shook my head hard. I still didn't want him to see me that way. "How many times have you let yourself cry about it?"

"Too many," I choked. "I've cried too much lately." It was true that I'd only cried a few times since the night of the fire, but compared to how much I used to cry, it might as well have been a thousand times.

"You've had good reasons to," He pointed out, giving my hand another squeeze.

"I look disgusting when I cry."

He seemed to find this amusing. "Then I won't look." He pulled me closer to him as he spoke, tucking my head under his chin.

"I'll get your shirt all wet."

"It doesn't matter, it'll dry."

I scrambled in my head for another excuse, but I knew I couldn't explain my need to stay strong to him. I'd always been the girl who never showed weakness, but was always accepting to the weakness of others. The one who lent a shoulder to cry on, but never needed one. The one who would stick up for everyone and help them through their worst times. Now all those roles were reversed, leaving me dazed and confused.

My breath hitched in my throat, and all my carefully constructed walls burst to let out the flood. My shoulders shook to the rhythm of my sobs, and I clung to the front of Kyo's shirt. He didn't make a sound, just kept his arms firmly wrapped around me, giving me an occasional soothing rub on the back.

I wondered briefly how I would've gotten by without him. Back in the old days, I was the girl that would be nice to anybody, despite my sometimes snappy attitude. Even though I never needed comfort, I knew that I could go to a number of people in case I ever did. Since the fire, it was like all those people had vanished from my life, all of them being replaced by my new family.

If Kyo had never found me, if it had been anyone but a Sohma, I couldn't even begin to imagine how much harder coping with the loss of my parents would have been. What if I'd been stuck with someone who didn't care, who didn't understand?

Before too long my sobs quieted gradually into little sniffles, and I wiped at my face. Kyo tried to pull me back so he could look at me, but I clung to him and refused to pull away. I still wouldn't let him see what I looked like when I was completely overcome with tears. It was definitely a sight.

Once I was convinced that I was calmed down enough, that the red in my eyes had faded, I pulled away, wiping at my face one last time.

I took a few more deep breaths before meeting his eyes. He just stared down at me, and I scrambled to name his expression. Kind, fond… _Loving? _His eyes were soft, and his mouth was turned up on one side in a crooked smile, almost like a smirk, but without the cruelty. I'd never seen him like that. He looked so… well, sweet. It made me choke slightly on the lump that hadn't quite left my throat.

He pulled me closer again; our faces were only inches apart. I could feel his breath swirl against my skin, cool against the leftover damp from the tears. He leaned closer. Three inches left, two, one. My lids were half shut in expectation, lips slightly parted.

"Kyo! Hey Kyo!" a familiar boyish shout came from somewhere in the woods. I jumped in surprise, knocking my forehead against his. I cursed and jerked away just as Momiji rounded a tree and saw us.

Kyo was glaring at him, and I shuddered. _If looks could kill…_

"Momiji, what are you doing here?" I asked in a smooth, calm, and professional voice. I almost surprised myself with my acting. I should be a quivering, emotional mess by now.

"Well, when Kyo left he promised he'd be back in like five minutes, because he was just gonna go find you. It's been way over five minutes, so I came looking, just in case you guys were mauled by a bear or something!" He explained cheerily.

I sighed silently, labeling Momiji as too innocent for me to really get mad at.

"Alright, fine. Let's just go home."

**Well, that chappy was pretty long (I think, heh) and it hasn't been too long since my last update, right? I think I deserve a couple of reviews… Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 11 and a Half

**I'm really sorry I haven't been updating. I was so busy with theatre, and I've had quite a bit of writers block. I wrote… well, pretty much all I have of this chapter, and then I was stuck. So, I'm counting this as half a chapter, and hopefully I'll put up another soon. The play is over now, but auditions for the next one are on Monday, so I'm not sure how often I'll be updating, sorry! Thanks for reading!**

Chapter Eleven ½ 

Things went fairly normally, until a day or two later, when a strange man burst through the front door.

I stared with wide eyes, freezing mid-step with a box of take-out in my hand, the food halfway to my mouth. (Tohru hadn't been feeling very well earlier, so we'd insisted she didn't have to cook)

"Can it be true?" The man shouted obnoxiously. He had long silvery hair, and looked almost feminine. He reminded me of an older, much more annoying Yuki. "Has little Kyonkichi finally found himself a lover?"

I blinked in confusion. "Er…. No offense, but who the hell are you?" I said flatly. I was blatantly creeped out by this guy.

"My dear little brother hasn't told you about me?" He exclaimed before sweeping into a low bow. "Ayame Sohma," He introduced, taking my hand and kissing the palm. "And what might such a lovely young lady be doing in this house of brutes? My dear, let me treat you to lunch."

"I already ate," I said stoically, looking pointedly to the container in my hand.

"Oh, but I insist," He said in a low voice, as though he were attempting sexuality.

The reaction was almost simultaneous. Shigure burst out of his study, and Kyo and Yuki practically fell down the stairs in their rush into the room.

"_Ayame!_" Kyo and Yuki shouted in unison. Yuki tackled Ayame and Kyo jerked me away, half stepping in front of me.

Shigure seemed to be the only one who was happy to see him. "Ayame, my friend! It's been too long!"

"More like not long enough," Kyo muttered.

I blinked. Yuki was standing now, and brushing off his clothes, while Ayame was sprawled on the floor from being tackled.

_My dear brother hasn't told you about me? _My jaw dropped in realization.

"You two are _brothers_?" I exclaimed. I stared wide-eyed at Yuki's reluctant nod before bursting out into hysteric laughter.

They waited patiently for me to calm down, and eventually I wiped at my eye, letting the last of the giggles fade. "Oh, I can just imagine," I chuckled. "Anyway, you're in the zodiac, right?"

"Correct," Ayame said, sounding slightly wounded by my laughter.

"Okay, let me guess," I said, then fell silent in thought. The zodiac animals that I didn't know yet were the Tiger, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, and Boar. After staring at him for a moment, I decided it was kind of obvious.

"You're the Snake, right?"

Ayame looked thrilled. "That's right, that's right!" he cheered. "How did you know?"

I just shrugged. "Snakes are creepy."

Ayame pouted, and Kyo burst out laughing. I smirked and turned back to my food.

"Don't laugh at me, Kyonkichi!" Ayame continued to pout.

I snorted with laughter. "Kyonkichi?"

"Don't call me that!" Kyo growled.

"Why not? It's cute!" I insisted, batting my eyelashes innocently.

Kyo grumbled and glared but didn't comment. I smirked victoriously.

"So, this must be the charming young lady that Shigure told me about. I hear you've stolen our little Kyonkichi's heart."

I nodded gravely. "I keep it in a jar of dirt on my desk."

Ayame shot Shigure a terrified glance, but Shigure laughed.

"Ah, our Rei, always joking," He said with a laugh.

Ayame laughed nervously, his eyes darting around as though expecting me to have a stash of bodies somewhere.

"Seriously, Ayame," I said with a raised eyebrow. "I was kidding. If I'd taken Kyo's heart out he'd be dead. As you can obviously see, he's not."

"What are you here for anyway?" Yuki asked coldly.

"Aren't you glad to see me, brother?" Ayame asked, sounding hurt.

"No," Yuki said flatly.

"Well, I came to see the heartthrob that Kyo has fallen for, obviously," Ayame explained as though it should be obvious. I raised my eyebrow at Shigure, wondering what exactly he'd said to Yuki's brother. He just smiled embarrassedly in response.

"Well, you've seen her," Kyo growled. "Now leave."

"Don't be rude, Kyo," I chided, moving to kneel by the table. "He's your family."

Kyo grumbled in reply and sat by me, refusing to look at anyone.

I sighed and smiled, letting Ayame and Shigure's chatter fade into the background. I wondered who in the world I would meet next.

**Crappy ending, short chapter, I know, I'm sorry. But like I said, writers block!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Not much to say, at the moment… I don't have a good excuse for not updating, but frankly, those who truly like this story are pretty lucky that I'm still updating. For most of my fanfictions, once I lose most of my interest, I just stop. Thank my friend Jordan for continually pestering me about posting and helping me through writers block. **** Plus, reviews are much appreciated, AND they're really great motivators!**

**Disclaimer: Just thought I'd remind you in case you'd forgotten, I don't own Fruits Basket. I only own Rei and Mai!**

Chapter Thirteen

The boys had eventually gotten Ayame to leave, but only after he'd insisted on buying me lunch, showing me his shop, and taking me to a movie, all of which I'd politely declined, right after Kyo not-so-politely whacked him upside the head.

Mai came over a few days later. We lounged in the kitchen, gossiping and breaking out in random laughter at innocent jokes that our minds turned dirty. At one point, she had started suggestively licking a banana she'd snagged off the counter. I practically fell to the floor in a fit of giggles, and of course, at that moment Tohru and Yuki walked in.

Tohru was confused, because her mind was just too innocent to comprehend what it meant, but Yuki looked almost like a toad, his eyes were so wide. He quietly backed out the door, turned tail, and ran, but Tohru just kept staring at Mai, puzzled.

"Does it taste different when you lick it like that?" She asked, looking like she was desperately trying to understand. Mai and I snorted with laughter and shook our heads.

"Bananas are my favorite fruit," Mai choked out between laughs.

"She's just savoring it!" I managed to gasp between my giggles.

"Oh… Okay!" She exclaimed cheerily. She turned her back to us and started cleaning some of the dishes that were in the sink. Mai resumed pleasuring her fruit.

"Oh, dear… am I interrupting something?" Shigure asked from the doorway, staring and Mai with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I was just practicing," She said with a wink. I rolled my eyes. They'd been joking like this since she'd met him this morning, as though they'd known each other forever.

"As though you need practice, my dear," Shigure murmured with a mischievous smile. "I've already pointed out how good you are at eating those bananas."

Mai just shrugged. "Is there something wrong with wanting to improve?"

"If you want to improve, you can always feel free to practice with— _ow!_" He exclaimed as I whacked him on the back of his head.

"Stop flirting and go do whatever it is you pervs do," I commanded, shoving him out of the kitchen. He gave me a wounded look and shuffled off to his study.

Mai and I shared a glance and bent over with muffled laughter that would have gone on for God knows how long, but then we heard a startled little "Oh!" of surprise from the doorway.

I shot upright and looked in alarm at the figure standing in the doorway. It was a rather pretty young woman with long, light brown hair. She looked harmless enough, but I had to wonder what she was doing here.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything, I was just looking for Shigure…" She murmured timidly. "I knew I shouldn't have come, I'll just be on my way. I don't want to bother anybody."

"Are you one of Shigure's cousins?" I asked in a calm voice, figuring that this was a person who was easily alarmed.

"Yes, yes I am… My name is Ritsu."

_Ritsu…_ Why did that name ring a bell? I thought hard, and then it came to me. That day I'd fallen down that hill, and Kyo caught me.

_Stop that, you sound like Ritsu. He's my cousin. _He. _Remember that if you ever meet him._

I forced myself not to stare at the woman I'd just realized was a man. Kyo's cousin was a cross-dresser? I shook my head and smiled kindly at Ritsu. "I'm Rei Otsuka. I think Shigure is in his study, if you wanted to speak to him."

Ritsu seemed flustered. "Oh… Thank you. Sorry for interrupting…" He sidestepped out of the room and skittered off to Shigure's study.

"She seemed nice," Mai commented.

"_He_," I corrected. Mai gave me a weird look. "Kyo told me about him. He must be a cross-dresser."

Mai blinked a few times. "Whoa… I never would have guessed. For a man, he makes a pretty good woman."

I shrugged and nodded. I rolled my shoulders and glanced at Tohru, who seemed to be in deep concentration. I stared at her with one eyebrow raised until she looked at me and finally said, "Does Shigure like bananas too?"

Mai and I practically peed ourselves laughing, and we sat there for quite a bit getting our giggles out. I was about to think of a way to answer the now embarrassed and _still _confused Tohru, when a wail came from Shigure's study.

"_I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I don't deserve to be in your house, in your presence, I don't deserve anything that I have been given!" _I blinked in confusion and stepped out of the kitchen. I met Yuki and the bottom of the stairs and gave him a questioning look. He just shrugged, and we both made our way to the study to investigate.

I raised my hand to tap on the door when Ritsu flung it open and scurried out, running straight into me. There was an audible _poof _and a puff of smoke. I coughed and waved the smoke out of my face to see a darling little monkey sitting in front of me.

"Ritsu… you're the monkey of the zodiac?" I asked quietly, stating the obvious.

"What was that? What happened?" Mai called, peering around the corner. Yuki stepped casually in front of Ritsu to hide him.

"Nothing serious, Ritsu just tried one of Shigure's cigarettes and it's made him a bit sick." I gave him a mental kudos for finding an explanation that would cover the now thinning smoke.

"Oh, I hope he's okay…" Mai murmured, sounding worried. "Can I help in any way? Or would it be best if I just left…?"

Shigure stepped out into the increasingly crowded hall, and I used his movement to scoot myself backwards and stealthily push Ritsu behind me. "Not to seem rude at all, but that probably would be best, Ritsu isn't a fan of people he isn't familiar with. You're welcome back anytime, though. Maybe we can 'practice' later," He said suggestively, raising his eyebrows.

"Shigure," I warned, while Mai just laughed. He ducked his head and held up his hands in surrender.

"No offense taken, anyway. I'll see you guys around," She said with a small laugh and a friendly wave. As she turned to open the door, I heard the slightest sound just outside. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Mai, wait! Hang on a second!" Yuki shouted, lunging forward. She turned to look at him in surprise just as the door opened, and two small children walked in, one little boy and one girl.

"Huh? Hiro, look out!" The girl exclaimed, and shoved him to the side just as he and Mai would have collided. My eyes widened as the Hiro, caught off-guard, fell to the floor with an audible _thump._

I hurried over to his side and offered him a hand up. "Are you alright?"

He just glared at me in a superior way and stood on his own, ignoring my hand.

Mai looked alarmed and quite a bit apologetic. "Sorry! Sorry! I'll just get out of the way now…" She hopped out of the girls way and out the door, turning to wave at us over her shoulder on her way out. The moment the door shut again, there was a _poof _from the hallway, and when I turned, I saw Ritsu scrambling into his clothes.

"I'm sorry! This is all my fault! The world would be a better place without me! Why was I even created? I'm an abomination!" He wailed.

Shigure sighed and swiftly jabbed Ritsu in the side. Ritsu fainted and collapsed to the ground.

I stared at Shigure in grudging admiration. "You have _got _to show me how you do that."

He just shrugged and looked at the kids. "And what brings you two here today?"

"I wanted to see sissy…" The girl whispered shyly. "Is… is that okay?"

Tohru walked into the room then. "Did I hear…. Oh, Kisa! I though I heard you out here."

Kisa grinned widely and hugged Tohru tightly around the waist. "Sissy!" She exclaimed.

Tohru smiled and hugged her back. I stood a bit awkwardly to the side, not having a clue who these kids were.

"Rei, these are our cousins, Hiro and Kisa. This is Rei Otsuka." Shigure introduced.

Kisa waved shyly at me, Hiro just _hmphed _and crossed his arms.

I held back my grimace at the intense bratty vibe. I could already tell this kid would drive me insane.

"Hiro, don't be rude…" Kisa murmured. Hiro rolled his eyes and gave me a sarcastic. "Hello."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Yeah, nice to meet you too." He just sneered at me.

I sighed and looked at Shigure. "What is up with this kid's attitude?" I whispered. "Is there a Donkey of the Zodiac? Because he's acting like an ass."

Shigure snorted in amusement at my joke, but shook his head. "Hiro is the Sheep, or Ram, of the zodiac."

I nodded. "I suppose the Ram would make sense," I mused. "Stubborn and hard-headed… That seems about right."

From across the room, Hiro bristled. "I'm _right here_, you know!" He shouted.

"Yes, I know you're right there, meaning you don't have to shout," I retorted sharply. "Everyone else may take your crap, but I'm telling you here and now, I won't. Don't mess with me, child."

He glared daggers at me. "At least I'm not some wannabe badass."

I smiled innocently and batted my eyelashes. "Aw look, the kid's trying to act grown-up by swearing… How cute."

Hiro looked like he wanted to head-butt me. I just stuck my tongue out at him. He stuck his out back at me. I wiggled my fingers in front of my nose.

"Alright, what did I miss?" Kyo asked skeptically as he walked downstairs. I shot Hiro one more glare before straightening and acting slightly my age.

"At least she's not a wimp like Tohru," Hiro muttered grudgingly. I smirked triumphantly.

"Don't say rude things about Tohru," Yuki said as he stepped off the stairs to join the crowd in the room.

"I think 'don't say rude things in general' would be more bearable, but I highly doubt he's capable of that," I muttered.

"I can still hear you!" Hiro growled.

"Yes, I am aware of that," I rolled my eyes. "But you know, in a way, I kind of admire you, kid. Never met someone so young who would actually act the way you do. Just don't take it too overboard, and I won't have to throw a shoe at you."

Hiro looked taken aback, and Shigure laughed.

"I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever seen Hiro at a loss for words!" He exclaimed.

I just shrugged. "All in a days work."

**Okay, I've been working on this chapter forever, and the ending really really sucks because I had no idea what I wanted to put, so I just kind of ended it. Sorry, but at least you get an update! Please review, it would be much appreciated. P.s. Notice that it says chapter thirteen at the top. 11 ½ was the last chapter. I am aware that I skipped chapter twelve, that was because I have a bit of OCD and it would have bugged me if the little thing at the top had said "13. Chapter 12" because you know it puts the little number there and then the title. Okay, Rambling over… haha.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'd just like to send a quick shout out to everyone that's reviewed so far. Miss-latina, KoolKat14, ItsNotSymmetrical, Kari Sohma, Rat300, Azura Soul Reaver, MoonlightChaos, and .. You guys are awesome, and especially Takara Rose Oizumi, who as reviewed FIVE TIMES! That's almost 1/3 of all the reviews, heh! Anyway, I think that's it for now. But just a warning, soon I'll be doing theatre rehearsals in the morning and Drivers ed in the afternoon. I should still have quite a bit of free time though, so I'm really going to try to keep updating, and I hope I can be more… regular with my updates. Thanks so much for your support and such!**

**~Mooney**

Chapter Fourteen

Much to my surprise, I actually got along with Hiro, for the most part. Ritsu had left the moment he'd woken up, spewing apologies so loud I swear my ears started bleeding. When I told him as much, he just wailed and darted out the door. Hatsuharu had come to bring Kisa and Hiro home an hour or so before dark.

The next morning I awoke unusually early, for me at least. When I walked downstairs, hair pulled back in a hasty ponytail, still wearing my sweats and a tank top, only Kyo and Tohru were up already.

I sat in my usual spot on the table, then slumped tiredly so I was half laying on it.

"Not much of a morning person, are you?" Kyo murmured. I just muttered a muffled "uhnnnnn," in reply.

A timid tap came from the door, and I heaved a sigh. "You guys would have company on the one morning that I come down looking like crap…"

Tohru went to open the door. "Oh, Kagura!" I heard her exclaim. "Come on in!"

Kyo blanched, and the color seemed to drain from his face. He leapt to his feet, about to run, when a soft voice spoke.

"Kyo? Kyo! I… I missed you so much!" I blinked at the girl that appeared in the doorway. She looked a bit like a younger Tohru, and she was clutching a cat shaped backpack to her chest, she dropped it and flung herself at Kyo, tackling him in a hug.

"Kyo, my love! … _Why didn't you call me?" _I felt my eyes widen at the girls sudden mood swing, and I wondered if she was bipolar or if she just had pms.

"That's… Kagura," Tohru explained tentatively.

"Uh huh…" I muttered. "And… why is she mauling Kyo?" By now she had flung him through the doorway and was beating him to a pulp outside.

"That's how she shows her affection, I guess…"

I snorted skeptically. "Well that's stupid. How does murder equal affection?"

Tohru and I migrated out to the porch to watch the spectacle. Kagura was twirling him around in crazed circles now, still shrieking about how she missed him and why hadn't he come to see her and this and that.

I felt a vein twitch in my jaw. Judging by Kyo's obvious terror when he'd figured out it was her at the door, this must have been normal behavior… for her, at least. But seriously, I think this was a bit overboard. More than a bit, really. It was ridiculous.

I watched, annoyance growing into frustration, which soon turned into anger. I had to intervene before any permanent damage was done.

"Hey!" I shouted just as Kagura was about to slam Kyo into a tree. Kagura hesitated, and Kyo fell to the ground with a groan. "Really, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

She suddenly seemed shy and timid all of a sudden, and she covered her mouth with one hand when she saw the damage she'd done to Kyo. "I… I'm sorry, it's just… I love him so much, sometimes I just can't restrain it. I'm sorry, really…"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not sure what planet you're from, but here on Earth, beating the ever loving shit out of someone doesn't really translate into love," I informed her, hopping off the porch to make sure Kyo was okay.

He propped himself up on one elbow as I approached and wiped a small trickle of blood from his chin.

"I do love him!" Kagura shouted. "I love everything about him! One day we're going to get married, and then you'll see!" Kyo grimaced

"Will you stop saying that?" He glowered. "I only said so because you were about to squish me with a boulder!"

"Seriously, is everyone in the zodiac totally insane?" I grumbled, kneeling by Kyo's side.

Kagura seemed dumbfounded. "She knows about the zodiac curse? You told another outsider!"

I rolled my eyes at her, and she glared at me. "If she knows about the curse, then I can tell her why we're perfect for each other…" Kagura muttered. "Zodiac members can hug each other and never transform!" To prove her point, Kagura grabbed Kyo roughly by the arm and pulled him to his feet, hugging him tightly.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again. "Just being able to hug him makes you the perfect match, huh?"

She nodded victoriously.

"Well, if that's the case…" I muttered. I pried her arms away from Kyo and pulled him to me just as she had been a moment before. Kagura's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"But... but… you, and… you're an outsider, how's that possible?" She wailed. "That's not fair! Kyo is mine!"

I released the lightly blushing Kyo from the hug and put my hands on my hips. "He's _yours_? Well excuse me, but I thought that slavery was illegal. Kyo isn't owned by anybody, and neither is anyone else. He's a _human being, _not somebody's pet, least of all yours."

Kagura gaped at me, but I pressed on, pumped to finally have a good rant, since my last one at Hatsuharu had been interrupted. "You know, I wasn't sure why he suddenly looked terrified when you walked through the door, but if you do this_ every single time you see him, _it's no wonder he doesn't want to see you. You can't just force your 'love' on someone, Kagura. If he doesn't want it, go give it to somebody who does."

Through my little speech, Kagura's expression had gone from shocked to hurt to furious. Amused, I wondered what would happen if she tried to attack me. _I _certainly wouldn't be the one on the ground in the end; I can assure you of that.

"Why you little…" She growled dangerously. "You're just trying to act tough because you're _jealous!_" She shrieked. "You just wish you could have the bond that Kyo and I share, but you can't!"

"Bond? What bond?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not the one who has to threaten him to get him to spend time with me."

That got her. She lunged forward and backhanded me across the face. My head snapped to the side, and my face stung. When I looked forward again, there were tears springing up in her eyes, and I almost felt sorry. _Almost. _Then she tried to backhand me again. She probably would have done it to, but Kyo, with his cat-like reflexes, jumped forward and grabbed her wrist just before she made impact.

Kagura stared at him in disbelief. "Why are you defending her?" She whimpered. "She's trying to ruin our relationship, to tear us apart!"

Kyo, in an effort to stay calm, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was cold.

"We don't have a relationship, Kagura. We never have." He said coolly.

She gasped and squirmed against his grip. "Are you… are you dumping me?" She shouted, suddenly back to her uncontrollable, furious state. She grabbed his hand where it clutched at her wrist and somehow managed to _flip _him. She was about to start beating him into the ground again, but I grabbed her fist as she drew it back, and I tugged hard, forcing her to stumble backwards.

She whirled around to face me, re-aiming the punch at me, but I saw it coming and easily dodged it. I did the same with the next two she threw, and on the fourth attempt, I caught her fist and stopped it halfway before it reached me. Our arms pushed against each other, like some strange new game of arm wrestling.

She tried to catch me off guard by aiming at my ribs with her free hand, but I skipped to the side and released her, standing a few feet away.

She looked like she was going to try to fight again, but I just shook my head at her. "You just don't get it, do you…" I murmured.

Somehow this seemed to make her more angry than anything else I'd said, and she started hurling a string of verbal insults at me, all of with I deflected with an amused smirk, until one struck a chord.

_Whore. _

I blanched and jerked back as though I'd been hit, and she noticed.

"Did I offend you?" She sneered. "Are you going to try to hit me?"

I could feel my eyes filling with tears, but I kept my otherwise calm composure. "And wouldn't it hurt so much more if I didn't?" I asked icily. She tried to retort, but couldn't seem to think of the right words. I shook my head and strode off into the woods.

Once I hit the tree line and was out of sight, I started to run. I'm amazed that I didn't run into a tree, since my eyes were blurred with tears. I stopped eventually to catch my breath. I leaned against a tree and clutched my side, tilting my head up to try and force my tears back into my eyes. That's when I saw it.

A tree house? Out here in the middle of the woods?

I glanced around, and of course, there was nobody there. I walked over to the tree and easily swung myself up into its lowest branch, and proceeded up from there. I still held the tree climbing skills I had acquired as a kid, and I was up to the little fort in no time. It really wasn't much, just a bunch of planks nailed together to create a platform. There were no walls or roof, just a small trap door in the bottom to crawl through once you reached it.

I could hear Kyo yelling angrily in the distance, hopefully at Kagura. I mean, I'm sure she was a nice enough girl, but I just couldn't bring myself to like her. Especially if she's that abusive. I'm pretty sure that Kyo'd never actually been seriously hurt by her, because that just seemed ridiculous, but really, who would put up with that?

I'm not sure how long I'd sat up there, legs pulled to my chest and arms wrapped around my knees, but sure enough, before too long Kyo came looking for me.

I knew there was a very small chance that he'd actually look up and see me, but when he came into my view, calling my name, I couldn't get myself to call back to him. I knew he just wanted to comfort me, but he'd had to do it so often since I'd met him. I sighed and shut my eyes, shuffling backwards just in case he did look—

I winced as I bumped against a dry twig, and it snapped with unbelievable volume. I could see Kyo's head jerk up to find the source of the noise.

"Rei?" He called incredulously. "Why are you in a tree?"

"Why not?" I whispered, even though he couldn't hear it.

Of course, he started climbing up after me. I scooted over to the corner of the platform to give him room to open the little door.

It didn't take him long to get up. Cats are good at climbing trees, after all. He cautiously pushed the door up and peered around. He blinked when he saw me huddled at the very edge.

"You shouldn't sit so close to the edge, you could fall or something," He muttered.

"Or something," I agreed, but I scooted a little closer to the tree trunk that sprouted up through the middle anyway.

He crawled the rest of the way through the opening and shut the door, then moved to sit on it.

"You know… nothing she said was true… right?" He asked, staring me down.

I kept my eyes averted. "I suppose," I mumbled.

"Then why are you letting it get to you like this?"

I shrugged. Apparently that wasn't a good enough answer, because he just stared at me.

I sighed. "Because that stupid word keeps on coming up."

He just looked confused.

"Whore," I whispered, clutching my knees tighter to my chest. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, and saw him about to protest, so I cut him off. "I know, I'm not, really. But… people keep on saying it. So… I can't help but—"

"But believe it?" He snorted skeptically.

"But consider that that might be how people see me, for whatever reason."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nobody sees you like that. The jerk at the dance was just jealous, and Kagura was just trying to get to you. She's… well, I guess she's not actually _that _bad, just a nuisance."

"Kudos on a big word," I muttered.

"You're dodging the point. You're not…" He couldn't bring himself to even say the word.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I murmured, wiping dried tears off my cheeks. I'd finished actually crying before he even showed up. "I just overreact. About everything."

"That's not…" He trailed off at the look I gave him. "Okay, maybe just a _little_… But it's not that bad."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course it's not. I keep on running away from my problems and… I keep on _crying_! I feel like such a stupid little pansy."

"No one else does…" Kyo murmured. I gave him a questioning look. "You've stood up to Black Haru, Hiro, and Kagura. No pansy would do that."

I just shrugged. "… Can we go back now?"

He simply nodded and stood cautiously, opened the trap door, and held it for me. I dropped through the hole and scurried easily back down the tree until I hit the ground, Kyo only feet behind me. We walked back in silence, about a foot apart. I stealthily got a bit closer to him with each step, until our arms brushed against each other.

Before too long, we arrived back at the house. Tohru was out hanging laundry, and Kagura was nowhere in sight.

I suddenly found myself tired. I sighed and trudged back inside. I kneeled on one of the cushions by the table and sat there for a little while, propping my cheek in my hand. Soon enough, I just gave up and flopped over so that I was laying across the cushion next to the one I was on. Not being able to help it, I fell asleep.

**So, I'm pretty much jumping for joy. Do you know what this is? A NEXT DAY UPDATE! You're welcome. Anyway, I'd like to apologize to Kagura fans, but I don't really like her, and that's why she's portrayed as such a jerk here. I don't think she'll be in it again, because THE STORY IS ALMOST OVER! Onoz! But yeah, she was out of character here, so I'm sorry. I hope you liked the chapter anyway!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yeah, it's been a while since my last update. Sorry! I only have a few more chapters planned out here, and I have a vague idea for a sequel, so if you have any ideas for that I'd love to hear them!**

Chapter Fifteen

When I awoke, I was laying in my bed. I blinked and glanced at the clock, which told me it was a little bit after noon. I stretched and yawned. I was still wearing my pajamas, which I remembered going downstairs in. Then there had been the Kagura incident… I rolled my neck around and stood up, walking over to my closet. I stared into it for a minute or two before just picking out a few things and putting them on.

When I was content with my appearance, I bounced downstairs. I saw Shigure talking quietly on the phone, so I walked past him without a word and into the kitchen. Tohru was there making something or other, and Yuki was leaning against the counter, keeping her company. I didn't want to intrude, so I said a simple 'Good Morning' and went outside.

I sat down on the porch and just stared at the trees and such. I wasn't bored, I just felt nice and… calm. It was a bit of a rare thing around here.

After a while, Shigure came out and joined me. "Hello, Shigure," I greeted.

"Rei," He replied with a smile. "That was Hatori I was talking to on the phone."

I blinked. "Oh. What did he want?"

"Well…" He murmured slowly. "He wanted you to come in for a check-up, just to make sure that everything healed correctly from the accident."

I frowned slightly. "Really? That seems so long ago… I'm fine, why would he want me in?"

"Who knows?" Shigure shrugged. "That's just the way Hari operates, I suppose. So, will you go?"

"Of course, it's been too long since I've seen Hari. Besides, I doubt he would take no for an answer."

"That's right," Shigure mused. "I'd almost forgotten that you know Hatori already. Kyo told me."

I just nodded. "So, when am I scheduled to go in?"

"Tomorrow, 12:30," he responded.

I smiled and nodded. "I'll try to squeeze that in. We all know how busy my schedule is."

Shigure just laughed and went back inside. I stood, stretched, and turned, almost running right into Kyo, who was walking outside. I made a weird 'eep!' noise and jumped backwards.

"Dear God, Kyo! Make some noise or something, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I exclaimed.

He seemed amused at my being frightened. "Scaredy cat," he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're the one who's a cat," I pointed out.

He shrugged and hopped off the porch. "What were you talking to Shigure about?" He questioned.

"He was talking to Hatori on the phone," I informed him. "Apparently he wants me to come in tomorrow for a check up."

I saw Kyo stiffen ever so slightly, and he turned to look at me. "You're going to see Hatori tomorrow?"

"Yes, I believe that's what I said."

Something about that seemed to agitate him. "Is there a problem?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"I don't trust Hatori alone with you," He said bluntly. I felt my eyes widen in surprise.

"Are you kidding, Kyo? I've known him as far back as I can remember, if you seriously think he'd—"

"That's not what I meant," He cut me off, blushing slightly. "There's stuff about him that you don't know. It's… part of the zodiac, I guess. To help keep it a secret."

I blinked. "Well, what does he do?"

Kyo looked at me solemnly. "He erases people's memories."

My jaw dropped, and I stared at him for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, whenever someone finds out about us, he gets rid of their memories about it." He repeated.

I shut my eyes and shook my head slightly. "Hatori wouldn't do that to me…" I murmured.

"He would if_ Akito _told him to." Kyo spat out the name.

I took a deep breath. "Who is this Akito? I keep on hearing that name, but you've never told me about them."

"He's the head of the Sohma house," Kyo muttered.

"And… He's not a good guy?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all," He muttered again.

I blinked as something clicked in my head. "That's why you guys didn't want me to be near Sohma house on the night of the dance, you didn't want Akito to see me." I remembered the dark figure I'd seen that night. Had I imagined it after all, or had it been Akito?

"Yeah," He said gravely.

I blinked, trying to imagine Hatori actually erasing someone's memories. I just couldn't see him doing that to anyone, let alone me. But… Akito was the head of house. That meant that Hari would have to listen to him, right? That just wasn't fair.

"Well, what reason would Akito have to erase my memories? I haven't done anything wrong."

"Yet," Kyo growled. I stared at him, taken aback. His eyes widened slightly. "That's not what I meant!" He hurriedly assured me. "_I_ don't think you're going to slip up, but Akito will. Akito just likes making the rest of us suffer."

My eyebrows furrowed slightly, but before I could reply, there was an excited shout from the end of the walk way. I glanced up to see Hiro and Kisa running towards us, smiling and waving. I grinned and waved back.

"Hey, squirt one and two," I greeted once they reached the porch. "What are you doing here?"

Kisa opened her mouth to answer, and then shut it again shyly, so Hiro took over. "_Kisa_ wanted to know if you and Tohru would take us to the park." I smiled, amused that he had to stress that it wasn't his idea.

Kisa giggled. "_You_ were the one who wanted Rei to come with," she teased.

Hiro's blush made me grin, but I stood up. "I'm certainly up for it, and Tohru is in the kitchen if you want to go ask her."

The two hopped up on the porch and scurried inside to seek out Tohru. I smiled after them, and then turned to see Kyo with his head down, shoulders shaking slightly.

At first I was concerned, and I leaned over to see what was going on. "Hey, are you—? " I realized he was laughing. "What's so funny?"

He looked up at me, grinning, and shook his head. "Hiro," He murmured with a chuckle. "He's never liked anyone but Kisa."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "What, and that makes it _funny_ that I've won him over with my charm and cunning?"

"Don't forget your modesty," Kyo put in with a roll of his eyes.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and Tohru walked outside with the kids in tow. "Ready to go?" She asked energetically.

I nodded and stepped off the porch. "See you later, Kyo Kyo!" I teased. He scowled at me, but I just stuck my tongue out again and kept walking.

The four of us walked down the sidewalk, with Hiro and Kisa between Tohru and I. Kisa chattered excitedly about a new game that her classmates let her play with them, and I couldn't help but smile.

As soon as the park came into view, Kisa took Tohru's hand and bolted for the swing set. Hiro seemed about to do the same, but he must've remembered that he was supposed to look cool, and he hesitated. I laughed and took his hand, pulling him forward. "Come on, slowpoke," I cried, "or they'll beat us!"

He grinned and we both started running after the two girls, trying desperately to beat them to the playground.

We made good time, but Tohru and Kisa had gotten a good head start. They beat us by a couple of feet, and all four of us collapsed onto the sand, panting and laughing.

Our day out with the two youngest Sohmas flew by unfairly fast. We bought ice cream and popcorn, played on every inch of that playground, and somehow ended up buying cute little animal key chains in a souvenir shop, a tiger for Kisa, a sheep for Hiro, a rat for Tohru, and a cat for me.

By the time the sun had started to set, we'd made our way back to the park. Tohru and I were dragging our aching feet, and the kids were having troubles keeping their eyes open. We plopped down in a cool patch of grass for a breather, but within moments Hiro and Kisa were both fast asleep.

Tohru and I sat long enough for some of the ache to seep out of our feet, and then I sighed and stretched. "I suppose we'll have to carry them home," I mumbled. Tohru just nodded tiredly.

I rolled my wrists and then tucked my arms under Hiro, about to pick him up. "Oh, Rei, wait—!" Tohru cried, but it was too late. I heaved him up into my arms, and there was a small puff of white smoke, and when it cleared there was a small, delicate looking sheep, still fast asleep.

I managed to keep myself from letting out a little 'aww' but couldn't help whispering, "He's so cute!"

Tohru smiled lightly and whispered back, "At least he's still easy to carry that way." She then carefully picked Kisa up as well, and I shifted Hiro to one arm so I could pick up his clothes and drape them over my shoulder before continuing to carry him normally.

Tohru and I started walking in silence, too tired for conversation. When we were halfway home, however, I spoke up. "It occurs to me now that we could have just called one of the boys and had them come pick us up…." I mumbled.

Tohru shrugged slightly. "Might as well just keep going now." I nodded in agreement, and the silence fell back into place.

We finally stumbled into the front yard and onto the porch. I shifted the miraculously still sheep-like Hiro into one arm again, and slid the door open. I blinked in surprise to see two boys sprawled on the floor in the living room. Kyo and Yuki had fallen asleep waiting up for us.

The two of us tiptoed upstairs and set Hiro and Kisa side by side in my bed, then crept back downstairs. I carefully draped a blanket over Kyo and smiled fondly at him while Tohru did the same for Yuki. It was amazing, how different he looked when he was asleep. As cliché as it sounds, the lack of tension completely transformed his face.

Yawning, Tohru and I made our way upstairs once again. I started to follow her into our room with the intentions of sharing her bed, since mine was otherwise occupied, but I hesitated. Both the boys were asleep downstairs… I turned and walked down the hallway to Kyo's room, sliding the door open. His bed was empty, of course, and I shuffled over to it, collapsing on top of the covers.

I fell asleep so quickly, I didn't even have time to worry about my appointment with Hatori coming up the next day.

**Okay, I'm really sorry for the super long wait for an update. This chapter was kind of just filler, since I wanted to kill time until the Hatori thing the next day. Hopefully it wasn't too bad though. Please review, and I'll really try to update sooner, but our summer musical (Annie) opens this week, so I'll be pretty busy, Please forgive me!**


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